Geminids: Difference between revisions
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== External links == |
== External links == |
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* [http://www.imo.net/calendar International Meteor Organization's Meteor Calendar] |
* [http://www.imo.net/calendar International Meteor Organization's Meteor Calendar] |
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* [http://www.bareket-astro.com/live/meteor/gemenids.html Geminids entrance to the atmosphere] |
* [http://www.bareket-astro.com/live/meteor/gemenids.html Geminids entrance to the atmosphere] |
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* [http://www.spacedex.com/meteorshowers/geminids.php Tips for watching Geminids meteor shower] |
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* [http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/06dec_geminids.htm 2004 Geminids] |
* [http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/06dec_geminids.htm 2004 Geminids] |
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* [http://www.realclearwx.com/geminids06.htm 2006 Geminids] |
* [http://www.realclearwx.com/geminids06.htm 2006 Geminids] |
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Revision as of 19:40, 1 December 2010
The Geminids are a meteor shower caused by the object 3200 Phaethon,[1] which is thought to be a Palladian asteroid.[2] This would make the Geminids the only meteor shower not originating from a passing comet. The meteors from this shower are slow moving can be seen in December and usually peak around 5 - 7 of the month, the night of the 5th usually being the optimum time. The shower is thought to be intensifying every year and recent showers have seen 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, generally around 2am to 3am GMT. Geminids were first observed only 150 years ago, much more recently than other showers such as the Perseids and Leonids[citation needed].
Radiant
The meteors in this shower appear to come from a radiant in the constellation Gemini (hence the shower's name). However, they can appear almost anywhere in the night sky, and often appear yellowish in hue. The meteors travel at medium speed in relation to other showers, at about 22 miles per second, making them fairly easy to spot. The Geminids are now considered by many to be the most consistent and active annual shower. In 2005, viewing of the shower was restricted due to a full moon washing out the fainter meteors. The 2006 shower had a less full moon, however the 2007 shower was a new moon, with the best viewing position being in the southern hemisphere, with Australia, New Zealand and Chile being noted spectacle locales. In 2008, the Geminids coincided with a full moon. In 2009 the peak date occurred two days before a new moon.
See also
References
- ^ Brian G. Marsden (1983-10-25). "IAUC 3881: 1983 TB AND THE GEMINID METEORS; 1983 SA; KR Aur". International Astronomical Union Circular. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
- ^ "Exploding Clays Drive Geminids Sky Show?", 2010 October 12[1]
External links
- Worldwide viewing times for the 2010 Geminids meteor shower
- International Meteor Organization's Meteor Calendar
- Geminids entrance to the atmosphere
- 2004 Geminids
- 2006 Geminids
- 2002 Geminids
- ShadowandSubstance.com: Geminids animated for 2009
- "Weird Geminids," NASA, 7 December 2001
- Google group search for Geminids, sorted by date
- Amateur observations of the Geminids
- Triangulation of a Geminid Meteor by Crayford Manor House AS