Geminid meteor shower streaks the early morning sky

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The Geminid meteor shower sprinkles the night sky with shooting stars every December and last night spectators from around the globe enjoyed the peak of this cosmic light show. The name Geminid stems from its close proximity to the Gemini constellation and the shower is believed to be the result of debris from the asteroid-like object 3200 Phaethon.

Meteor showers peaking Thursday, Friday nights
By Scott Dance, The Baltimore Sun
5:02 p.m. EST, December 13, 2012

Readers in rural areas have an opportunity to see hundreds of meteors streaking across the sky Thursday and Friday nights, thanks to the annual Geminid shower as well as a potential second shower.

The Geminids, which appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini, peak in the wee hours of Friday morning but have already been providing a show around the world the past couple of nights. They could appear at a rate of 120 per hour in rural areas, according to NASA.

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