PHAËTHON Definition & Meaning

�ʳ�ë�ٳ�ǲ�

[ fey-uh-thuhn, -thon ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

Classical Mythology.

a son of Helios who borrowed the chariot of the sun and drove it so close to earth that Zeus struck him down to save the world.

Phaethon

/ ˈ�ڱ�ɪəθə�� /

an asteroid (6.9 km in diameter) that has an orbit approaching close to the sun and releases fragments of dust that enter the earth's atmosphere as meteors

�ʳ�ë�ٳ�ǲ�

/ ˈ�ڱ�ɪəθə�� /

Greek myth the son of Helios (the sun god) who borrowed his father's chariot and nearly set the earth on fire by approaching too close to it. Zeus averted the catastrophe by striking him down with a thunderbolt

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< Greek �ʳ�é�ٳ�ō��, special use of present participle of ��é�ٳ�𾱲� to shine

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The debris causing the Geminids, an annual event, originated from an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon, according to NASA.

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But the Geminids come from the sun-orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

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Meteor showers are typically caused by a comet, but the Geminids are celestial debris left behind by a rocky asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon.

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Most meteor showers result from fragments shed by comets, but an asteroid known as 3200 Phaethon is responsible for the gems of the Geminids.

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Analysis of Phaethon's infrared spectrum showed that the asteroid was composed of at least olivine, carbonates, iron sulfides, and oxide minerals.

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