A "Rock Comet" is Approaching Earth

Space Weather News for Dec. 11, 2017 http://spaceweather.com https://www.facebook.com/spaceweatherdotcom A "ROCK COMET" IS APPROACHING EARTH: You've heard of comets. But have you ever heard of a rock comet? They exist, and a big one is approaching Earth this week. 3200 Phaethon will fly past our planet on Dec. 16th only 10 million km away. Measuring some 5 km in diameter, it is large enough for amateur astronomers to photograph through backyard telescopes. Moreover, this strange object is the parent of the annual Geminid meteor shower, which is also coming this week. Sky watchers can see dozens of Geminids per hour on Dec. 13th and 14th as gravelly bits of the rock comet disintegrate in Earth's upper atmosphere. Visit today's edition of Spaceweather.com to find out how to observe the Geminids and their progenitor in the nights ahead. Remember, SpaceWeather.com is on Facebook! Above: Looking for an out of this world Christmas present? Visit the Earth to Sky Store. The students of Earth to Sky Calculus fly items to the edge of space and sell them to support their cosmic ray ballooning program. They make great holiday gifts, and all proceeds support STEM education. Shop now. Share Tweet Forward Copyright © 2017 Spaceweather.com, All rights reserved.