Phaeton - Parent of Geminids and German Car

Interesting astronomy in Santa Fe New Mexican, by Peter Lipscomb:

(...) The parent body of the Geminids was a mystery that persisted well into the 20th century. In early 1983, a satellite survey of objects moving through the solar system discovered a previously unknown asteroid. Its orbit was a close match for the Geminid stream. The link was further strengthened through photographic study of Geminid fireballs. Density measurements showed that the meteors were heavier than typical of cometary debris, but the density was still lower than most asteroids. Analysis of the spectral data, or colors, of the meteor flashes revealed a composition consistent with asteroids. So, while 3200 Phaethon is almost certainly the source of the Geminids, it is a very strange asteroid that has a "comet-like" orbit.(...)

The Geminid shower is one of the most reliable and observer-friendly of the annual meteor showers. This time of year, the constellation Gemini is well placed in the eastern sky in the late evening, so you don't have to give up a good night's sleep.

The best times to watch will be tonight starting at 9:30 and on Friday and Saturday from midnight to dawn.The brilliant red beacon of Mars is an easy catch southwest of Gemini's brightest star Castor. If you can trace a meteor's path back to near Castor, you can count it as a Geminid.

This bit in Wiki about Phaeton,  son of the Helios, is entitled the "Extra-terrestrial impact theory":

It has been noted by a number of commentators, including the astronomers Victor Clube and Bill Napier, that, if stripped of its obviously mythological elements, the story of Phaethon reads like a genuine account of the impact of an asteroid or a piece of cometary debris. They compare the description of an intensely bright light and searing heat with eyewitness accounts of the Tunguska event and point out that the after effects of Phaethon's fall, including flooding and a darkening of the sun, are consistent with the dust veil and tsunamis which an impact might be expected to cause (Clube & Napier 1982, The Cosmic Serpent, pgs 206-9).

Phaeton is not just the luxury sedan that I'm curiously drawn to test drive for Christmas?  It's a giant VW they named for a guy who loses control of his Daddy's chariot  and powerful horse team on a tragic joyride.   

Greek myth?  At least there is some certainty about cometary debris and big German cars.  I don't know about the good night's sleep.          

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[Inky Ink, Inc.]

Not such a big deal for those of us who manage to stay awake past 7:30 PM. That's when it all starts happnin-meteors, asteroids, northern lights, UFOs, Charlie Rose...