5 February 2023
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Observing

See asteroid Phaethon, source of the Geminids, in a close brush with Earth

4 December 2017 Ade Ashford

As shooting-star devotees prepare for the naked-eye spectacle of the Geminid meteor shower in mid-December, owners of small telescopes can also witness the close passage of the meteors’ parent body — a curious “rock comet” known as 3200 Phaethon, galloping through the constellations of Auriga, Perseus, Andromeda, Pisces and Pegasus at a rate of up to 15 degrees/day.

News

Astronomers recall discovery of Phaethon — source of Geminid meteors

12 December 2015 Astronomy Now

The beautiful Geminid meteor shower is due to light up the heavens this weekend, but the source of the enigmatic cosmic display had eluded stargazers for more than 120 years. Then, in 1983, two University of Leicester astronomers — Dr. Simon Green and Dr. John Davies — used data from the IRAS satellite to discover 3200 Phaethon, an asteroid with a very unusual orbit.

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News Headlines

  • See all the planets in January
    16 January 2023
  • Frank Drake, SETI pioneer, 1930–2022
    3 September 2022
  • Webb images of Jupiter show auroras, rings, moons
    24 August 2022
  • Webb: Stellar nursery in Carina
    12 July 2022
  • Webb: a ringside seat to galactic mergers and interactions
    12 July 2022
  • Home
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      • January last issue
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  • Spaceflight Now
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