Geminids Meteor Shower [UPSC Notes]

The cosmos’ annual gift to sky watchers – the Geminids Meteor Shower peaked on December 13 -14 in 2022. The Geminids is considered the universe’s easiest-to-view meteor shower. This is an important current affairs topic for the IAS exam. It is also relevant for the science & technology section of the UPSC syllabus.

Geminids Meteor Shower

USA’s NASA describes the Geminids as one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers.

• During peak activity and perfect weather conditions, which are rare, the Geminids produce about 100 – 150 meteors per hour for viewing. 
• However in 2022, a waning gibbous moon made it difficult to view most of the shower and only 30 – 40 visible meteors per hour at the peak were visible in the Northern Hemisphere.

Geminids are Unique

• Unlike most other meteor showers, the Geminids are not associated with a comet but with an asteroid namely, 3200 Phaethon.
• The Geminid shower originates from the debris of 3200 Phaethon – an asteroid first discovered in 1983. Every year the earth passes through its trail of debris which gives rise to the Geminids showers.
• 3200 Phaethon is the first asteroid to be associated with a meteor shower.
• Geminids are very fast and move with a speed of about 78,000 miles per hour. Most Geminids burn up at altitudes between 45 -55 miles and do not reach the ground. 

Image Source – NASA

Meteor Showers 

Meteors come from the leftover comet particles and bits from asteroids. 

• When these objects come close to the sun, they leave a dusty trail behind them. Every year earth passes through these debris trails, which allows them to collide with the earth’s atmosphere. 
• As these bits enter the atmosphere with a high speed they catch fire and leave behind streaks of glowing gas that are visible as meteor showers.
• When Earth encounters many meteoroids at once, it is called a Meteor Shower.
• Some other meteor showers are Leonids, Perseids, Orionids, and Lyrids. When the number of meteors spotted is thousands per hour it is called a Meteor Storm.

Naming of Meteor Showers

• Meteor showers are named for the constellation where the meteors appear to be coming from.
• The Geminids are so named because the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini. However, the constellation is not the source of the meteors. 

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