One of the most dramatic astronomical events of the year is scheduled to peak this weekend.
The Geminid meteor shower is considered one of the “best and most reliable” annual meteor showers in the Northern Hemisphere, due to the dependable arrival of bold shooting stars every year in mid-December, according to NASA.
It is also one of the most active meteor showers. Under a dark sky with no moon, up to 120 meteors per hour could potentially be seen streaking across the sky, according to EarthSky.org. They are also visible from the Southern Hemisphere, but at lower rates.
In this Dec. 15, 2023, file photo, a meteor burns up in the sky over al-Abrak desert north of Kuwait City during the annual Geminid meteor shower.
Yasser Al-Zayyat/AFP via Getty Images, FILE
What is the Geminid meteor shower?
The Geminids began appearing in the mid-1800s, according to NASA. At the time, there were only about 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
But the frequency of the Geminids has increased with time, Rhiannon Mayne, curator of the Oscar E. Monnig Meteorite Collection and Gallery at Texas Christian University, told ABC News. The Geminids have since grown to become one of the major meteor showers of the year, according to NASA.
The radiant — the point in the sky in which the Geminids appear to originate from — is the constellation Gemini, according to NASA.
While meteor showers typically originate from comets, the Geminids originate from a “dead” asteroid — the 3200 Phaethon.
“It also makes the Geminids unusual because it means we have material of a different composition, because comets are made up of different material than asteroids,” Mayne said.
This year, the Geminid meteor shower lasts from Nov. 19 to Dec. 24, the period of time when Earth is passing through the meteor stream in space, according to EarthSky.org.
In this Dec. 14, 2023, file photo, the Geminid meteor shower is shown over Yosemite National Park in California.
Anadolu via Getty Images, FILE
Where and what time to watch the Geminid meteor shower
The Geminid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight on Friday and Saturday nights, according to EarthSky.org.
But the days before and after the peak can offer views of shooting stars as well.
Since the radiant for the Geminids rises in mid-evening, they tend to be visible all night long, according to EarthSky.org. The radiant rises in mid-evening and is highest around 2 a.m.
However, the hours before and after midnight are the best time to see the Geminids, because that’s when the night sky is at its darkest, Mayne said.
The event is also considered one of the best opportunities for young viewers, since shootings stars can start to appear around 9 or 10 p.m.
Mayne recommended getting as far away from city lights as possible to see the Geminids, which will be visible from the entire night sky, not just from the radiant.
Mayne also reminded stargazers to keep their eyes adjusted to the dark for the best viewing possibilities.
“You don’t want to go outside, look up for 10 minutes and then say, ‘I didn’t see anything,'” she said.
In this Dec. 14, 2023, photo provided by NOIRLab, meteors from the Geminid meteor shower streak across the sky above the Nicholas U. Mayall Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a program of the National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, located near Tucson in the Tohono O’odham Nation.
NSF/NOIRLab via AP, File
Stargazing forecast for the Geminids
The visibility of the Geminids could be drowned out this weekend due to the fullness of the moon, Mayne said. The moon is expected to reach its full phase on Sunday, according to the American Meteorological Society.
Otherwise, forecasts indicate good viewing conditions in the U.S. for during peak activity.
On Friday night, mostly clear skies will bring favorable viewing conditions to the Northeast and much of the Plains and Southwest. Decreasing clouds are expected in the Southeast with improving viewing conditions later in the night.
Clouds, rain and mountain snow will likely hamper viewing the event in the Northwest. Mostly cloudy skies are forecast across the Midwest with scattered rain and snow showers possible in some locations.
On Saturday night, New England, the Plains, the Southwest and Florida will have the most favorable viewing conditions under mostly clear skies. Increasing clouds are expected for much of the Southeast into the mid-Atlantic, so once it’s dark out, it’s best to view as early as possible in these locations.
Unsettled weather is expected to continue across much of the Northwest with mostly cloudy skies and lingering rain and mountain snow in some areas. A large part of the Midwest will have another night of unfavorable viewing conditions as well, with lots of clouds and rainy weather from the Ohio River Valley into the southern Great Lakes.
ABC News’ Dan Peck contributed to this report.
