Explanation:
Dust from curious
near-Earth asteroid 3200 Phaethon
seems to fall from the
constellation
Gemini in this fisheye skyview.
The composite image was recorded
over four December nights (12-15)
just last year
from Ludanyhalaszi, Hungary.
Of course, the streaks are meteor
trails from the annual Geminids meteor shower.
The work of
astronomer
Erno Berko, the finished picture combines 113 different frames and
captures 123 separate meteors.
The Geminids
is one of the northern skies most reliably performing meteor showers
and did not disappoint last year.
Under good conditions some
skywatchers reported
well over 100 meteors per hour near the December 14/15 peak for the
Geminids in 2007.
Look up tonight and you might see the 2008
Quadrantids.
The Amateur Astronomers Association of New York Presents:
APOD Editor's Lecture: January 4th -
American Museum of Natural History
