Last night the NASA All-sky Meteor cameras detected their first Geminid fireball of 2010! The fireball, detected from cameras positioned in both Huntsville, Ala., and Chickamauga, Ga., was first spotted over southern Tennessee at a height of 58.7 miles above the ground. It streaked across the sky over northern Alabama at a speed of 76,300 mph and completely burned up by a height of 53.4 miles. If the weather remains clear, we should be in for a good Geminid show this year!
Geminid fireball meteor seen from Huntsville (left) and Chickamauga (right) on December 6, 2010.
Meteor rates should peak early next week, so stay tuned for more news about the Geminid meteor shower!
Image courtesy of Danielle Moser, NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.