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At 11:29 GMT on Monday December 14, 2009, Wally Pacholka captured one of the largest fireballs recorded during this year’s Geminid Meteor Shower in Mojave Desert in California. Seen toward the southwest over rock formations near Victorville, California, a more familiar celestial background was momentarily washed out by the meteor’s flash. The background includes bright star Sirius at the left, and Aldebaran and the Pleaides star cluster at the right side of the image. The meteor itself blazes through the constellation Orion. Its greenish trail begins just left of a yellow-tinted Betelgeuse and points back to the shower’s radiant in Gemini, just off the top of the frame.

Monster Geminid Meteor Fireball over Mojave Desert - Credit: Wally Pacholka (AstroPics.com, TWAN)

Many more great pictures capturing meteors of one of the greatest annual meteor shower are available in the Meteorwatch Gallery.