双子座雨星2023-12-13

3200 Phaethon 是以古希腊神阿波罗的儿子命名的一颗小行星，其轨道比水星更接近我们的太阳。它在35年前首次被通过卫星数据发现，Phaethon每年12月将壮观的双子座流星雨带到地球大气层。自19世纪中叶以来，每过一年，夜空中黄色条纹光线的扩散变得更加激烈。

去年12月，所谓的“岩石彗星”来到距地球640万英里的范围内。虽然去年的超级月亮让人更难欣赏到小行星的灯光表演，但这不会成为今年的影响因素。

如果天气晴朗，2018年应该是观看双子座流星雨的最佳年份 - 因为它们似乎来自双子座。不需要望远镜或双筒望远镜：12月13日晚上9点之后，Phaethon的碎片将变得可见，午夜后达到每小时多达120颗流星的高峰。宇宙尘埃可能是由于与另一个飞行物撞击造成的，但是任何小行星降落在地表上的概率都很小，因为它们通常会在地球大气层中瓦解。

今天的Google涂鸦描绘了沿着双子座流星雨的路径穿过地球的大气层，照亮了天空。当Phaethon的轨道将它引向太阳附近时，极高的热量导致它破裂并在其轨道中留下碎片与痕迹。每年12月，地球的都会穿过3200 Phaethon的轨迹，在那时它的碎片以每小时79,000英里（127,000公里）的速度撞向我们的大气层。一旦穿过地球的大气层，Geminids的方位（或它似乎起源的地方）就是双子星座 ，双子座流星雨也因此得名。

为了获得最佳观景条件，请尽可能远离城市灯光，面向南方，并记得在享受地球上最伟大的表演之一时穿着保暖衣物。

Named after the ancient Greek god Apollo’s son, 3200 Phaethon is an asteroid whose orbit brings it closer to our sun than Mercury. First discovered via satellite data 35 years ago, Phaethon is responsible for bringing the spectacular Geminid meteor showers to Earth’s atmosphere each December. With each passing year since the mid-1800s, the proliferation of yellowish streaks of light in the night-time sky have grown more intense.
The so-called “rock comet” came within 6.4 million miles of earth this past December, although last year’s supermoon made it harder to appreciate the celestial light show. That won’t be a factor this year.
If the weather is clear, 2018 should be the best year ever to watch the Gemenides—so named because they seem to originate from the constellation Gemini. No need for a telescope or binoculars: fragments from Phaethon’s debris trail should become visible after 9 pm on December 13, peaking after midnight with as many as 120 meteors per hour. The cosmic dust may have resulted from a crash with another flying object, but there’s little danger of any Geminids landing on earth as it normally disintegrates in the earth’s atmosphere.
Today’s slideshow Doodle1 follows the Geminids’ path through Earth’s atmosphere as it lights up the sky. As Phaethon’s orbit leads it near the sun, the extreme heat causes it to fracture and leaves a trail of debris in its orbital path. Every December, Earth’s orbit leads us through the trail of 3200 Phaethon and its debris crashes into our atmosphere at 79,000 miles (127,000 km) per hour. Once through the Earth’s atmosphere, the Geminids’ radiant (or where it appears to originate) is the constellation Gemini—from which the meteor shower gets its name.
For optimal viewing conditions, get as far away from city lights as possible, face South, and remember to dress warmly as you enjoy one of the greatest shows on—or above—earth.

英文原文链接

https://www.google.com/doodles/the-geminid-meteor-shower-2018

油管回放地址

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHuT5yDtDu0

图片剪切自https://www.google.com/doodles/the-geminid-meteor-shower-2018