by bystander » Sat Dec 12, 2015 4:01 am
Astronomers Recall Discovery of Source of Geminid Meteors
University of Leicester, UK | 2015 Dec 11
The beautiful Geminids 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.
Although the popular astronomical event has been observed since the 1800s, its origins had long remained a mystery.
It was only discovered relatively recently, compared to other showers such as the Perseids, which were first documented in 36 AD and Leonids, which date back to 902 AD.
Then, in 1983, two University of Leicester astronomers -- Dr. Simon Green and Dr. John Davies -- were studying data from the infrared sensitive telescope on the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, IRAS, and discovered an asteroid with a very unusual orbit.
Originally designated 1983 TB, the comet was renamed 3200 Phaethon after the son of Greek Sun god Helios -- an appropriate moniker as it orbits closer to the Sun than any other asteroid then known.
Shortly after the find, Harvard astronomer Fred Whipple was able to link the newly discovered rocky object, which is about three miles wide, with the Geminid meteors, and the mystifying source of the showers was revealed. ...
[url=http://www2.le.ac.uk/news/blog/2015-archive-1/december/former-leicester-astronomers-recall-how-they-discovered-the-source-of-the-dazzling-geminids-meteor-shower][size=125][b][i]Astronomers Recall Discovery of Source of Geminid Meteors[/i][/b][/size][/url]
University of Leicester, UK | 2015 Dec 11
[quote]
The beautiful Geminids 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.
Although the popular astronomical event has been observed since the 1800s, its origins had long remained a mystery.
It was only discovered relatively recently, compared to other showers such as the Perseids, which were first documented in 36 AD and Leonids, which date back to 902 AD.
Then, in 1983, two University of Leicester astronomers -- Dr. Simon Green and Dr. John Davies -- were studying data from the infrared sensitive telescope on the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, IRAS, and discovered an asteroid with a very unusual orbit.
Originally designated 1983 TB, the comet was renamed 3200 Phaethon after the son of Greek Sun god Helios -- an appropriate moniker as it orbits closer to the Sun than any other asteroid then known.
Shortly after the find, Harvard astronomer Fred Whipple was able to link the newly discovered rocky object, which is about three miles wide, with the Geminid meteors, and the mystifying source of the showers was revealed. ... [/quote]