NASA thought it knew source of annual Geminid meteor shower

Turns out, it was wrong ...

NASA just admitted a big scientific “oopsie” — and the ripple effect has left experts scratching their heads over Earth’s annual Geminid meteor shower. The mistake involves the tail of Phaethon, an asteroid long assumed to be the source of meteors showering Earth each December. Closer analysis of Phaethon by a team of scientists revealed its tail isn’t dusty at all. Instead, it’s sodium gas, NASA revealed in a Tuesday news release. So, if the tail of the asteroid is gas, not dust, where are the dazzling Geminid meteors coming from? Scientists aren’t sure. 
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