3200 Phaethon 3200 Phaethon 3200 Phaethon ( , sometimes incorrectly spelled Phaeton), provisional designation , is an Apollo asteroid with an orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than any other named asteroid (though there are numerous unnamed asteroids with smaller perihelia, such as ). For this reason, it was named after the Greek myth of Phaëthon, son of the sun god Helios. It is in diameter and is the parent body of the Geminids meteor shower of mid-December. With an observation arc of 30+ years, it has a very well determined orbit. The 2017 Earth approach distance of about 10
December solstice December solstice The December solstice, is the solstice that occurs each December, typically between the 20th and the 22nd day of the month according to the Gregorian calendar. In the Northern Hemisphere, the December solstice is the winter solstice, whilst in the Southern Hemisphere it is the summer solstice. It is also known as the southern solstice. Recent, past, and future dates and times, in Universal Time, of the December solstice are: The December solstice solar year is the solar year based on the December solstice. It is thus the length of time between adjacent December solstices. The length of