Meteor shower in Taif

A meteor streaks across the night sky above the mountains of western Saudi Arabia in this handout photo taken by a member of the Taif Arts Monitor in mid-December during the group's "Altoamyat Meteors" photography trip.  According to the King Abdulaziz University's Department of Astronomy, a Geminid meteor shower was visible in the skies of the kingdom from December 7 to 17. During the annual celestial show, an estimated 50 meteors are seen per hour as the Earth passes through regions close to the debris from asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which is believed to be a dead comet. Chunks from the debris will enter the earth’s atmosphere and burn at the speed of 35 kilometers per second and form the Geminids.(SPA)