Each year around this time, bright yellow fireballs streak across skies worldwide in the popular .
The Geminids—regarded as one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers—start around mid-November every year and last roughly a month, hitting their peak over a couple of nights in mid-December.
This year, that peak is forecast to happen on Dec. 12 and 13—meaning if conditions are ideal, up to 120 meteors per hour could be visible in the night sky starting as early as 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Here’s what to know about this highly anticipated celestial event and how to see it best.
What is the Geminids Meteor Shower?
Meteors—the “shooting stars” sometimes seen in the sky—are caused by pieces of comets and asteroids called meteoroids colliding with Earth’s atmosphere when our planet passes through trails of cosmic debris orbiting the Sun. The meteoroids enter the atmosphere at extreme speeds, making them disintegrate in fiery, colorful streaks.
Most meteor showers occur when Earth travels through a comet’s dust trail. But the Geminids—bright, fast meteors typically yellow in color—come from an asteroid named 3200 Phaethon.
Discovered in 1983, the asteroid was given the name 3200 Phaethon (after the Greek mythological figure who drove Sun-god Helios’ chariot) because its orbit brings it close to the Sun. It’s considered a small asteroid: Its diameter is just 3.17 miles—shorter than the distance between New York City’s Empire State Building and the Statue of Liberty.
The Geminids themselves are named for the Gemini constellation, the part of the sky where the meteors appear to originate.
The Geminids meteor shower first started appearing in the mid-1800s. Back then, it had only 10 to 20 meteors per hour, but over the years it has grown into a larger and more notable celestial event.
How can you best see it this week?
Unlike more localized celestial events, such as the , the Geminids meteor shower is visible across the globe.
The shower is best viewed in clear skies without light pollution. To get a good view, you should avoid cities and streetlights. NASA recommends lying flat on your back with your feet facing south, taking in as much sky as possible.
Your eyes will adjust to the dark over time—NASA estimates around 30 minutes—and this will make it easier to see the meteors.
Activity usually peaks around 2 a.m. But the shower will last until dawn, and NASA advises viewers to “be patient.”