Geminids

The Geminids are a meteor shower, whose radiant is in the constellation Gemini (Latin Gemini). There are among other things the two eponymous, bright stars Castor and Pollux.

The increase to the maximum of activity is very slow over several days, the descent but then pretty quickly. Since the middle of December Radiant opposite the sun is in the sky, he can be found throughout the night above the horizon. The maximum position is reached shortly after midnight. Therefore, the Geminids can be observed very well in the evenings unlike other meteors. The Geminids are especially impressive because they produce a lot of light, typically yellow-white luminous meteors. The brightest meteors typically appear only after the maximum while before that dominate the fainter objects. Within the meteor therefore a sort of particle sizes is done.

As a parent bodies Geminids, which are nothing more than a sun orbiting dust cloud, an expression classified as an asteroid celestial body named (3200) Phaethon applies. Its orbit around the Sun is similar except for the short orbital period of only 1.43 years strong of a comet. It has been variously suggested that Phaethon is an " extinct " comet that has completely lost its volatiles (gas and dust). In the year 2013 showed the evaluation of measurements of the STEREO spacecraft weak signs of matter emissions of Phaeton. This, and the relatively small to the total mass of the geminids led to the theory that an event such as a break-up of (3200) could be the origin of Phateon

The activity of the Geminids has increased steadily in recent decades. In 2013, a ZHR of approximately 140 Geminids per hour was recorded at the maximum.