Geminids
{{Short description|Meteor shower}}
{{Infobox meteor shower
| name = Geminids (GEM)
| image = Geminids.jpg
| image size =
| caption = The Geminids meteor shower as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, in December 2013
| pronounce = {{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|ɛ|m|ə|n|ə|d|z}}
| parent = 3200 Phaethon
| constellation = Gemini (near Castor)
| month = {{nowrap|4 December – 17 December}}
| notes =
|alternate pronouce=|alternate pronounce=ge•mini|alternate=}}
The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower with 3200 Phaethon (which is thought to be an Apollo asteroid{{Cite web |title=Small-Body Database Lookup |url=https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?des=3200 |access-date=2024-05-19 |website=ssd.jpl.nasa.gov}} with a "rock comet" orbit.) being the parent body.{{cite web |last=Marsden |first=Brian G. |title=IAUC 3881: 1983 TB and the Geminid Meteors; 1983 SA; KR Aur (Circular No. 3881) |url=http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/03800/03881.html |url-status=dead |publisher=Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams |date=25 October 1983 |access-date=18 May 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120501023951/http://www.cbat.eps.harvard.edu/iauc/03800/03881.html |archive-date=1 May 2012}} Because of this, it would make this shower, along with the Quadrantids, the only major meteor showers not originating from a comet. The meteors from this shower are slow, they can be seen in December and usually peak around December 4–16, with the date of highest intensity being the morning of December 14. Current showers produce up to 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, peaking around 2:00 or 3:00. Geminids were first observed in 1862, much later than other showers such as the Perseids (36 AD) and Leonids (902 AD).
Based on data from the Parker Solar Probe, a 2023 study suggested that the Geminids may have been formed by the catastrophic breakup of a comet that formed asteroids 2005 UD and 1999 YC in addition to Phaethon.{{Cite journal |last1=Cukier |first1=W. Z. |last2=Szalay |first2=J. R. |date=June 1, 2023 |title=Formation, Structure, and Detectability of the Geminids Meteoroid Stream |journal=The Planetary Science Journal |volume=4 |issue=6 |pages=109 |arxiv=2306.11151 |doi=10.3847/psj/acd538 |issn=2632-3338 |doi-access=free}}{{Cite web |last=Rayne |first=Elizabeth |date=June 27, 2023 |title=We finally know how the mysterious Geminid meteor shower originated |url=https://arstechnica.com/science/2023/06/we-finally-know-how-the-mysterious-geminid-meteor-shower-originated/ |access-date=June 29, 2023 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-us}}
Background
The Geminid meteor shower is unique among celestial events as it originates not from a comet but from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered on Oct. 11, 1983, by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). Phaethon's 1.4-year orbit around the Sun and its comet-like elliptical trajectory have led scientists to speculate if it is a "dead comet" or a distinct celestial entity known as a "rock comet." Despite its comet-like orbit, Phaethon lacks a cometary tail and exhibits spectra resembling a rocky asteroid. The Geminid meteoroids formed from Phaethon are denser (2–3 g/cm3) than typical cometary dust flakes (0.3 g/cm3). Named after the Greek mythological figure who drove the Sun-god Helios' chariot, Phaethon's discovery was attributed to astronomer Fred Whipple.{{Cite web |title=Geminids – NASA Science |url=https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/geminids/ |access-date=2023-12-12 |website=science.nasa.gov |language=en}}
Radiant
File:Asteroid Phaethon 25dec2010 stack.jpg, Sonoita (MPC 857)]]
The meteors in this shower appear to come from the 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. 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 {{convert|22|mi/s|km/s}}, making them fairly easy to spot. They usually fall apart while at heights above {{convert|24|mi|km}}.
File:Meteor falling courtesy NASA.gif of a Geminid meteor falling earthwards]]
Timeline
| style="margin:auto;" | class="wikitable"
! style="width: 80pt" | Year ! style="width: 100pt" | Peak of shower ! style="width: 70pt" | ZHRmax ! style="width: 120pt" | Lunar phase{{cite web |title=Moongiant |url=https://www.moongiant.com/ |website=www.moongiant.com}} |
| align="center"|2006
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|115{{cite web |title=Geminids 2006: visual data quicklook |url=http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2006/ |url-status=dead |publisher=International Meteor Organization |date=25 April 2007 |access-date=13 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121224023439/http://imo.net/live/geminids2006/ |archive-date=24 December 2012}} | align="center"|33% waning crescent |
| align="center"|2007
| align="center"|December 15 | align="center"|30% waxing crescent |
| align="center"|2008
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|95% full moon |
| align="center"|2009
| align="center"|December 13 | align="center"|9% new moon |
| align="center"|2010
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|127{{cite web |title = Geminids 2010: visual data quicklook |url = http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2010/ |publisher =International Meteor Organization |date = 2012-09-19 |access-date = 2012-12-13 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121103022027/http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2010/ |archive-date = 2012-11-03 }} | align="center"|59% first quarter |
| align="center"|2011
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|198{{cite web |title = Geminids 2011: visual data quicklook |url = http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2011/ |publisher =International Meteor Organization |date = 2012-01-18 |access-date = 2012-12-13 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121228172857/http://imo.net/live/geminids2011/ |archive-date = 2012-12-28 }} | align="center"|86% waning gibbous |
| align="center"|2012
| align="center"|December 14{{cite web | title = IMO Meteor Shower Calendar 2012: Geminids (GEM) | url = http://www.imo.net/calendar/2012#gem | publisher =International Meteor Organization | access-date = 2012-12-13}} | align="center"|109{{cite web |title = Geminids 2012: visual data quicklook |url = http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2012/ |publisher =International Meteor Organization |date = 2012-12-21 |access-date = 2013-10-11 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130917165958/http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2012/ |archive-date = 2013-09-17 }} | align="center"|2% new moon |
| align="center"|2013
| align="center"|December 14{{cite web | title = IMO Meteor Shower Calendar 2013: Geminids (GEM) | url = http://www.imo.net/calendar/2013#gem | publisher =International Meteor Organization | access-date = 2013-10-11}} | align="center"|134{{cite web |title = Geminids 2013: visual data quicklook |url = http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2013/ |publisher =International Meteor Organization |date = 2013-12-21 |access-date = 2014-01-06 |url-status = dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131216232351/http://www.imo.net/live/geminids2013/ |archive-date = 2013-12-16 }} | align="center"|92% full moon |
| align="center"|2014
| align="center"|50% last quarter |
| align="center"|2015
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|10% waxing crescent |
| align="center"|2016
| align="center"|December 13 | align="center"|100% full moon |
| align="center"|2017
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|145{{cite web |last=Antier |first=Karl |title=Impressive 2017 Geminids! |url=https://www.imo.net/impressive-2017-geminids/ |website=IMO}} | align="center"|13% waning crescent |
| align="center"|2018
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|{{value|125|9}}{{cite web |last=Miskotte |first=Koen |title=The Geminids of 2018: an analysis of visual observations |url=https://www.meteornews.net/2019/07/21/the-geminids-of-2018-an-analysis-of-visual-observations/ |website=Meteor News}} | align="center"|41% waxing crescent |
| align="center"|2019
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|94% waning gibbous |
| align="center"|2020
| align="center"|December 13 | align="center"|2% waning crescent |
| align="center"|2021
| align="center"|December 13 | align="center"|{{value|125|25}}{{cite web|url=https://abc7news.com/11331166/|title=Best meteor shower of the year: Geminids peak tonight, boasting 100–150 shooting stars|date=12 December 2021|website=ABC7 San Francisco}} | align="center"|73% waxing gibbous |
| align="center"|2022
| align="center"|December 14 | align="center"|120 | align="center"|72% waning gibbous |
| align="center"|2023
| align="center"|December 13 | align="center"|0% waxing crescent |
See also
References
{{reflist|refs=
| first1 = Patrick
| last1 = Moore
| first2 = Robin
| last2 = Rees
| title = Patrick Moore's Data Book of Astronomy
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=2FNfjWKBZx8C&pg=PA275
| edition = 2nd
| publisher = Cambridge University Press
| date = 2011
| isbn = 978-0-521-89935-2
| page = 275
| postscript = . }}
| title = NASA All Sky Fireball Network: Geminid End Heights
| url = https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=449938011732097
| publisher = NASA Meteor Watch on Facebook
| date = 2012-12-11
| access-date = 2012-12-11}}
| title = Radiant (Northern vs Southern)
| url = https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=450368398355725
| publisher = NASA Meteor Watch on Facebook
| date = 2012-12-12
| access-date = 2012-12-14}}
| last = Jewitt
| first = David
| author2 = Li, Jing
| title = Activity in Geminid Parent (3200) Phaethon
| journal = The Astronomical Journal
| volume = 140
| issue = 5
| pages = 1519–1527
| arxiv = 1009.2710
| date = 2010
| doi = 10.1088/0004-6256/140/5/1519
| bibcode = 2010AJ....140.1519J
| s2cid = 6446528
}}
}}
External links
{{commons category|Geminids}}
- [http://www.spacedex.com/geminids/ Viewing details for the 2015 Geminids Meteor Shower]
- [https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/geminids.html Viewing information for the 2015 Geminids meteor shower]
- NASA Meteor Watch 2012:
- [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=451340971591801 Allsky cameras observed 328 bright Geminids – notice how similar they are to the orbit of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon (purple orbit)]
- [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=451231801602718 Composite view of meteors detected in the skies over Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC)]
- [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=451041394957890 Spectacular Geminid, brighter than the Full Moon] (video 2012-Dec-14 07:28 UT)
- [https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=451219658270599 Meteoroid Environment Office: 53 meteor orbits last night of which 18 were Geminids]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100320181443/http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2004/06dec_geminids.htm 2004 Geminids]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20091217044232/http://www.realclearwx.com/geminids06.htm 2006 Geminids]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20100315025218/http://www.shadowandsubstance.com/Geminids/geminids.html ShadowandSubstance.com: Geminids animated for 2010]
- "[https://web.archive.org/web/20100323172554/http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2001/ast07dec_1.htm Weird Geminids]," NASA, 7 December 2001
- Google group search for [https://groups.google.com/groups?as_q=geminids&safe=images&ie=ISO-8859-1&lr=&num=10&as_scoring=d&hl=en Geminids], sorted by date
- [http://cmhas.wikispaces.com/Geminids Amateur observations of the Geminids]
- [http://cmhas.wikispaces.com/PAPER_Gem96 Triangulation of a Geminid Meteor by Crayford Manor House AS]
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEPPGF3KrMQ ScienceCasts: Rock Comet Meteor Shower] (Science@NASA YouTube channel : Nov 29, 2012)
- [http://www.constellation-guide.com/geminids/ Geminids at Constellation Guide]
- {{ APOD |date=15 December 2012|title=When Gemini Send Stars to Paranal}}
{{Meteor showers}}