One of the strongest meteor showers of the year—the Geminids—is currently active and will reach its peak on December 13 and 14. It's considered a major shower amongst stargazers, and is known for being bright and intensely colored, according to the American Meteor Society. Don't miss this year's display, which is slated to be a great year for viewing the shower.
The Geminids come from the 3200 Phaethon asteroid rather than comets, like most other meteor showers do, EarthSky.org reports. A comet has a solid nucleus covered by a layer of ice, which turns from a solid to a gas as the comets gets closet to the sun. An asteroid is a rock with an orbit that is more circular than a comet.
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This year, the moon is expected to be only 1 percent illuminated, meaning it will not interfere with Geminid visibility. Under a dark sky with no moon, stargazers may see up to 120 Geminid meteors per hour, according to EarthSky.org.
The best time to see the Geminid meteor shower is at about 2 a.m. on the night of December 13 and 14, but the shooting stars will be active until December 24. In the northern hemisphere, the Geminids are considered one of the best and brightest showers of the year, but it is also visible at lower rates from the southern hemisphere.
For optimal viewing, watch the shower from area away from city and street lights. You should be able to see the meteors without a telescope of binoculars—but give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark in order to best see the show.
