Geminids


The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower caused by the object 3200 Phaethon, which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid with a "rock comet" orbit. This would make the Geminids, together with the Quadrantids, the only major meteor showers not originating from a comet. The meteors from this shower are slow moving, can be seen in December and usually peak around December 6–14, with the date of highest intensity being the morning of December 14. The shower is thought to be intensifying every year and recent showers have seen 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, generally around 02:00 to 03:00 local time. Geminids were first observed in 1862, much more recently than other showers such as the Perseids and Leonids.

Radiant

The meteors in this shower appear to come from the radiant in the constellation Gemini. However, they can appear almost anywhere in the night sky, and often appear yellowish in hue. Well north of the equator, the radiant rises about sunset, reaching a usable elevation from the local evening hours onwards. In the southern hemisphere, the radiant appears only around local midnight or so. Observers in the northern hemisphere will see higher Geminid rates as the radiant is higher in the sky. The meteors travel at medium speed in relation to other showers, at about, making them fairly easy to spot. The Geminids are now considered by many to be the most consistent and active annual shower. Geminids disintegrate while at heights above.
of a Geminid meteor falling earthwards
YearActivePeak of showerZHRmaxLunar phase
2006December 7–17December 1411533% waning crescent
2007December 1512228% waxing crescent
2008December 1413996% full moon
2009December 1312010% new moon
2010December 7–17December 1412757% first quarter
2011December 1419886% waning gibbous
2012December 4–17December 13–141091% new moon
2013December 4–17December 1413491% full moon
2014December 4–17December 1425350% Last quarter
2018-December 14--
2019December 7–17December 14--