Why the Geminid meteor shower is actually a trail of asteroid dust
This video captures the Geminid meteor shower as it appeared over the Paranal Observatory in Chile. It explains the celestial mechanics behind these fast-moving streaks of light, revealing why Earth experiences this annual display every December.
The Geminid meteor shower occurs annually when Earth passes through the orbital path of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. As our planet cuts through the trail of dust left behind by this asteroid, the particles enter our atmosphere and burn up, producing the bright, rapid flashes known as shooting stars. These meteors appear to originate from the constellation Gemini.
In December 2012, ESO Photo Ambassador Gianluca Lombardi captured this phenomenon over the Paranal Observatory in Chile. He dedicated more than 40 hours to documenting the event, which took place between 14 and 16 December 2012.
