Every December, the Geminid meteor shower lights up the night sky with bright “shooting stars.” This astronomical phenomenon is the only known meteor shower originating from an asteroid, not from the icy debris emitted by comets like all others.
In 1983, astronomers discovered a blueish near-Earth asteroid, later named 3200 Phaethon, whose orbit closely matched the path of the debris associated with the Geminids. Scientists believe that around 1,800 years ago, a catastrophic event caused the asteroid to break apart. This event could have a collision with another object, but the most popular theory is that the Sun’s intense heat caused the asteroid to fragment. Another possibility is that it broke apart because of its spin.
Either way, the asteroid scattered debris into a ring around the Sun. As the Earth passes through the debris, the particles burn up in our atmosphere at 127,000 km/h, creating the beautiful Geminid meteor shower.
The Geminids are unique for their range of colors, which include yellow, green, and blue. This colorful sight happens because the rocky particles from 3200 Phaethon contain different elements. As these fragments enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds, they burn up, and the specific elements determine the color of the light we see.
In 2024, the Geminids came into view on Dec. 13 and 14, though the light of a nearly full moon reduced visibility. Still, it was possible to see around 15 meteors per hour. Fewer meteors than in previous years, but still a spectacular sight.
Another fact that makes the Geminids unique is that they are one of only two meteor showers that could theoretically leave meteorites on Earth. While people have yet to find one, who knows – maybe one day we will!