Geminid

Geminid refers to one of the most prominent annual meteor showers. It is named after the radiant point in the constellation Gemini, near Castor and Pollux, from which the meteors appear to emanate as they burn up in Earth's atmosphere.

The shower occurs every year in December, with its peak around December 13–14. It remains active roughly from December 4 to 17. The Geminids are known for producing relatively bright meteors and for a high rate at the peak, with zenithal hourly rates often reaching about 120 meteors per hour under favorable observing conditions.

Unlike many meteor showers that originate from comets, the Geminids are associated with the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, a near-Earth object with an unusually eccentric orbit that brings it close to the Sun. Debris shed by Phaethon over many orbits creates the meteors. Some scientists consider Phaethon to be a dormant or extinct comet, or a fragmenting asteroid.

Observing the Geminids typically yields the best results from dark, rural skies after midnight, when the radiant in Gemini is higher in the sky. The shower is visible from many parts of the Northern Hemisphere and, to a lesser extent, from the Southern Hemisphere, though rates are generally lower there. Fireballs are a common feature during the peak.