Fireball! | Geminid Meteor over Colorado
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Every December we have a chance to see one of our favorite meteor showers—the Geminids. All meteors appear to come from the same place in the sky called the radiant. The Geminids appear to radiate from a point in the constellation Gemini, hence the name “Geminids.”
The Geminids are typically rich in green-colored fireballs like this one!
The Geminids are caused by debris from a celestial object known as 3200 Phaethon, whose origin is the subject of debate. A number of astronomers consider it to be an extinct comet, based on observations showing a small amount of material leaving Phaethon’s surface. Others argue that it has to be an asteroid because of its orbit and its similarity to the main-belt asteroid Pallas.
Whatever the nature of Phaethon, observations show that the Geminids are denser than meteors belonging to other showers, enabling them to get as low as 29 miles above Earth’s surface before burning up. Meteors belonging to other showers, like the Perseids, burn up much higher.
The Geminids can be seen by most of the world. Yet, it is best viewed by observers in the Northern Hemisphere. As you enter the Southern Hemisphere and move towards the South Pole, the altitude of the Geminid radiant—the celestial point in the sky where the Geminid meteors appear to originate—gets lower and lower above the horizon. Thus, observers in these locations see fewer Geminids than their northern counterparts.
Besides the weather, the phase of the Moon is a major factor in determining whether a meteor shower will have good rates during any given year.
Meteors can be colorful. While the human eye usually cannot discern many colors, cameras often can. Colors in meteors usually originate from ionized chemical elements released as the meteor disintegrates. Blue-green colors typically originate from magnesium, calcium radiates violet, and nickel glows green. Red, however, typically originates from energized nitrogen and oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere. This bright meteoric fireball was gone in a flash—less than a second—but it left a wind-blown ionization trail that remained visible.
Learn more about meteors and meteorites:
Image Credit: Mike Lewinski
Location: near Crestone, Colorado, United States
Image Date: Dec. 11, 2023
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