One of the three most active annual meteor showers, reaching a maximum ZHR of 100 or more on December 13 from a radiant at RA 7h 28m, dec. +33°, near Castor. Activity is seen from December 7 to 15 and is produced by debris in a common orbit with the asteroid Phaethon. Geminid meteors are slow (geocentric velocity 35 km/s) and often bright. The Geminids’ apparent asteroidal origin differs from the cometary source of most meteors, and may account for their longer luminous duration in flight, and apparent dearth of persistent trains.