Astronomy Picture of the Day [1]Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2021 November 16 [2]The picture shows a composite of over 200 Geminid meteors from the 2020 Geminids meteor shower over Lake Lugu in Yunnan, China. Please see the explanation for more detailed information. Geminids from Gemini Image Credit & Copyright: [3]Wang Jin Explanation: Where are all of these meteors coming from? In terms of direction on the sky, the pointed answer is the [4]constellation of Gemini. That is why the major meteor shower in December is known as the [5]Geminids -- because shower meteors all appear to come from a [6]radiant toward Gemini. Three dimensionally, however, [7]sand-sized debris expelled from the unusual asteroid [8]3200 Phaethon follows a well-defined orbit about our Sun, and the part of the orbit that approaches Earth is superposed in front of the [9]constellation of Gemini. Therefore, when Earth [10]crosses this orbit, the [11]radiant point of [12]falling debris appears in Gemini. Featured here, a composite of many images taken during the 2020 [13]Geminids meteor shower shows over 200 [14]bright meteorss that [15]streaked through the sky during the night December 14. The best [16]meteor shower in November, the [17]Leonids, peaks tonight and tomorrow. [18]Unfortunately, this year, dim meteors during the [19]early-morning peak will be hard [20]to see against a sky lit by a bright gibbous moon. Still, a few [21]bright Leonid meteors should be visible each hour. Tomorrow's picture: double galaxy puzzler __________________________________________________________________ [22]< | [23]Archive | [24]Submissions | [25]Index | [26]Search | [27]Calendar | [28]RSS | [29]Education | [30]About APOD | [31]Discuss | [32]> __________________________________________________________________ Authors & editors: [33]Robert Nemiroff ([34]MTU) & [35]Jerry Bonnell ([36]UMCP) NASA Official: Phillip Newman [37]Specific rights apply. [38]NASA Web Privacy Policy and Important Notices A service of: [39]ASD at [40]NASA / [41]GSFC & [42]Michigan Tech. U. References 1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2111/Geminids2020_WangJin_2322.jpg 3. mailto:%20royalk86%20@at@%20gmail%20.dot.%20com 4. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation) 5. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/geminids/in-depth/ 6. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap171215.html 7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meteors 8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3200_Phaethon 9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gemini_(constellation) 10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap180808.html 11. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radiant_(meteor_shower) 12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap210815.html 13. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geminids 14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap081125.html 15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap090302.html 16. https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/search/meteor/ 17. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/leonids/in-depth/ 18. https://i.pinimg.com/236x/67/83/c2/6783c2fe268f21e0bc8dec8d877ba492--sad-kitty-kitty-cats.jpg 19. https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-leonid-meteor-shower/ 20. https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/ 21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap011119.html 22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211115.html 23. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html 24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html 25. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html 26. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search 27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html 28. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod.rss 29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html 30. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html 31. http://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=211116 32. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap211117.html 33. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/faculty/Nemiroff.html 34. http://www.phy.mtu.edu/ 35. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/htmltest/jbonnell/www/bonnell.html 36. http://www.astro.umd.edu/ 37. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply 38. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html 39. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/ 40. https://www.nasa.gov/ 41. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/ 42. http://www.mtu.edu/