MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – With the Geminid meteor shower occurring this week and visible in many parts of the state, the Minnesota State Patrol shares an image with its soldiers.
The patrol said an officer caught on Wednesday morning what appeared to be a meteor crossing the sky while patrolling Dakota County.
They posted the following video on Twitter, with the meteorite in sight 21 seconds later.
Looks like one of our soldiers caught on his control camera a meteor crossing the sky yesterday morning in Dakota County. Geminid meteor shower occurs this week. It is usually the heaviest meteor shower of the year. #GeminidMeteorShower pic.twitter.com/fDay3ZNd2T
– MN State Patrol (@MnDPS_MSP) December 17, 2020
Geminids are a meteor shower that can be seen in the northern hemisphere each December, with a maximum intensity usually around December 14th.
According to NASA, the Geminids originated from an asteroid or a possible “rock comet.” During peak activity, approximately 120 meteors per hour fly across the sky, traveling 22 miles per second.