The Geminid meteor shower peaks this weekend and could bring as many as 120 meteors per hour to the night sky.
It’s considered one of the best meteor showers to witness, not only because of the number of meteors, but also because of its 24-hour duration, which allows everyone across the globe to get a glimpse.
Will you be able to see them in the Chicago area and when? Here's what to know:
When can you see the Geminids?
According to the American Meteor Society, the Geminids are most active from Dec. 11 through Dec. 20, but will peak the night of Dec. 13.
Geminids are visible all night, under ideal circumstances, however a 97% full moon will make faint meteors more difficult to see.
Depending on other light pollution, meteors seen per hour may dwindle to 15 to 25. The moon will be highest in the sky from 10 p.m. to midnight, so the best viewing is likely a couple of hours after sunset, and a couple of hours before sunrise.
Local
It’s best to get away from city lights and give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust to the dark sky. Try not to look at your phone so your eyes don’t have to continue to re adjust to the light.
Chicago-area forecast
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Temperatures will hover around 30 degrees Friday night, but cloud cover will be increasing through the night ahead of rain developing Saturday.
There is one good thing about a 4:20 p.m. sunset, however -- you can try to see the meteor shower any time after 5:30 p.m.
More about the Geminids
The meteors travel at a speed of 79,000 mph (22 miles per second), according to NASA. They are quick and usually produce a bright yellow streak.
Usually meteor showers derive from dust left behind comets after they orbit the sun. Earth’s orbit passes through the debris, and we see the particles and small rocks burn up in our atmosphere.
The Geminids come from an asteroid, “3200 Phaethon.” This asteroid orbits the earth every 1.4 years and doesn’t produce a tail like a comet. The pieces that break off of asteroid 3200 are much more dense than debris from comets.
Although the meteors seem to radiate from the constellation Gemini, the meteors can be visible throughout the night sky.
