Geminids
The Geminids are a rich meteor shower each December, produced by debris from the asteroid Phaethon.
The Geminids are one of the best meteor showers of the year, peaking around 13 to 14 December. Their meteors seem to come from a point near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini, which gives the shower its name. At a dark site, observers can see up to around 120 meteors per hour at the peak.
Unlike most showers, the Geminids come from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, rather than a comet. Their particles are denser than typical comet dust, so Geminid meteors are often bright, slow and long-lasting, travelling at about 35 kilometres per second.
The Geminid radiant is high in the sky from the evening onwards, so it is a good shower for children to watch before bedtime. Dress very warmly, because December nights are cold, and look away from the radiant to catch meteors with longer trails. The shower has grown stronger since it was first noted in the 1860s.
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Level: Beginner Ages 7 and up