This is the ESOcast!
Cutting-edge science and life behind the scenes
at ESO, the European Southern Observatory.
On 14 - 16 December 2012
the Geminids meteor shower
made a spectacular appearance
over ESO's Paranal Observatory.
ESO Photo Ambassador Gianluca Lombardi
was ready with his camera
to record the spectacle.
This is what he experienced
during 40 hours of shooting.
The Geminids is a shower of shooting stars radiating
from the constellation Gemini (the Twins).
Every year the Earth moves through the orbit
of active asteroid 3200 Phaethon
and the dust creates the brilliant points of light
as they burn up in the atmosphere.
VLT's laser creates an artificial star
high up in the Earth's atmosphere
helping to produce super-sharp images.
Looking closely some of the meteors
even left a smoke trail.
The International Space Station
also made an appearance.
ESOcast is produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory www.eso.org
ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy,
Among both ground and space-based observatories, ESO is the most productive observatory in the world.
Transcription by ESO; translation by —