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This is the ESOcast!

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Cutting-edge science and life behind the scenes

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at ESO, the European Southern Observatory.

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On 14 - 16 December 2012 

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the Geminids meteor shower

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made a spectacular appearance

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over ESO's Paranal Observatory.

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ESO Photo Ambassador Gianluca Lombardi

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was ready with his camera 

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to record the spectacle.

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This is what he experienced

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during 40 hours of shooting.

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The Geminids is a shower of shooting stars radiating

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from the constellation Gemini (the Twins).

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Every year the Earth moves through the orbit

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of active asteroid 3200 Phaethon  

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and the dust creates the brilliant points of light 

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as they burn up in the atmosphere.

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VLT's laser creates an artificial star

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high up in the Earth's atmosphere

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helping to produce super-sharp images.

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Looking closely some of the meteors

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even left a smoke trail.

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The International Space Station 

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also made an appearance.

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ESOcast is produced by ESO, the European Southern Observatory www.eso.org

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ESO, the European Southern Observatory, is the pre-eminent intergovernmental science and technology organisation in astronomy,

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Among both ground and space-based observatories, ESO is the most productive observatory in the world.

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Transcription by ESO; translation by —