CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Geminid meteor shower is known for being bright and beautiful, dubbed the best and most reliable meteor shower by sky watchers across the Northern Hemisphere.

And it peaks this weekend.

Like most meteor showers, the Geminids are caused by the debris of a comet or asteroid that once crossed Earth’s path. For the Geminids, this is asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The Earth passes annually through the leftover dust and debris from this asteroid.

But why is this one so dazzling? Its 524-day orbit carries it very close to the sun, which brightens the trail of dust.

Fun fact about 3200 Phaethon : before its discovery, scientists believed all meteor showers came from comets, not asteroids. It’s constantly being studied due to this anomaly.

The Geminids get their name from the co

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