The Geminid meteor shower may have started earlier this month, but it's expected to peak and it could be one of the best shows in years.
Here's what to know about the Geminid meteor shower and when you can see it:
When will the Geminid meteor shower peak?
According to NASA, the Geminid meteor shower began earlier this month, and will continue until Christmas Eve.
The peak of this year’s Geminid meteor shower is expected to occur during the early morning hours of Dec. 14, with as many as 120 meteors per hour possible, according to EarthSky.
Why could this year's shower be even better?
This year's timing is great news for stargazers because the December new moon is set to take place just two days before the peak of the meteor shower making it more visible to the naked eye since the moonlight won't drown out most of the meteors.
What is the Geminid meteor shower?
Meteors in this shower tend to radiate from the star Castor, which is located in the Gemini constellation, thus giving the Geminids their name.
What makes this meteor shower special is that most originate from the trails of comets that have made their way through the Solar System, but the Geminids originate from the trail of an asteroid known as 3200 Phatehon, which was discovered in the 1980’s, according to NASA.
Where and when should I look to see the Geminid meteor shower?
Find a dark spot and allow your eyes to adjust for at least 30 minutes.
The radiant point of the meteor shower will be at its highest point in the sky at approximately 2 a.m., according to NASA and EarthSky, so you might have to stay up a bit later to see the peak.
Even though the radiant point will be overhead, meteors could be visible throughout the sky, according to experts.