3200 Phaethon
Asteroid 3200 Phaeton is a small near-Earth asteroid.[1] Its orbit is highly eccentric, crossing the orbits of Mars and Mercury.
It is 5.1 kilometres (3.2 mi) in diameter.[1] Astronomers believe it is a long dead comet that long since lost all the volatile materials that would make it shine like a comet.
Phaethon was first observed in 1983.[1] Astronomer Fred Whipple tied the asteroid to the Geminid meteor shower.[2][3]
Phaethon has a very low albedo -- reflectivity.[4] The light it does reflect is blue -- an unusual color for an asteroid.
Astronomers have learned several new things about Phaeton, in 2022 and 2023.[3][5]
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2
"Geminids". NASA Science. 2017-11-20. Archived from the original on 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
Asteroid 3200 Phaethon takes 1.4 years to orbit the Sun once. It is possible that Phaethon is a "dead comet" or a new kind of object being discussed by astronomers called a "rock comet."
- ↑
"Meteor Showers Ranked". Eastern Sierra Observatory. 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
Meteor showers rain down from the cosmos throughout the year. These showers occur when Earth passes through a debris field in its orbit. Most of the debris we come in contact with is "dust" shed by comets traveling through the solar system, but meteors can range in size from as tiny as microns to as large as 1 meter. Anything larger than that is considered an asteroid or comet. Meteors typically enter our atmosphere traveling at speeds of 25,000 mph to 160,000 mph.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Deborah Byrd (2025-12-12). "Mysterious 3200 Phaethon is the Geminids' parent object". EarthSky. Retrieved 2026-06-07.
- ↑
Anton Petrov (2019-02-08). "One of the Weirdest Rocks in the Solar System - 3200 Phaethon" (video). What da math. Retrieved 2026-06-07 – via YouTube.
...in this video, we will talk about 3200 Phaethon - an unusual blue asteroid that's not really an asteroid nor a comet. A rock comet...
- ↑ Anton Petrov (2022-10-28). "This Already Strange Asteroid Just Got Weirder, 3200 Phaethon Discovery" (video). What da math. Retrieved 2026-06-07 – via YouTube.