Planet Earth is about to pass through one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year this week -- but it鈥檚 one that will likely go unnoticed by most of us.
The Geminids meteor shower is due to peak on Wednesday night, as our planet passes through the biggest swath of a trail of cosmic debris left over by a long-extinct comet.
The Geminids peak every year around this time in mid-December, but many fail to notice them because it鈥檚 not only a busy time of year, it鈥檚 also chilly for us northern hemisphere dwellers.
But those of you who can bundle up and brave the cold -- and if the skies are clear -- it will be possible to see upwards of 120 鈥渟hooting stars鈥� an hour, as they bolt across the sky at a blazing 35 km per second.
They鈥檙e not actually stars, of course, but meteors made of dust and grit that light up as they slam into Earth's atmosphere and disintegrate into fiery streaks.
NASA considers the Geminids one of the best and most reliable meteor showers 鈥� a better cosmic show than the Perseids meteor shower that get plenty of attention in August. The cosmic display is visible around the globe but those in the northern hemisphere have the best view.
This year鈥檚 display should be particularly good, NASA says, because the moon is a thin, waning crescent this weekend, so it鈥檚 unlikely to obscure the show.
Though a few of the meteors are already becoming visible now, the shower will peak Wednesday night, says Bill Cooke with NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.
"Good rates will be seen between 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 13 and dawn local time the morning of Dec. 14, with the most meteors visible from midnight to 4 a.m. on Dec. 14, when the radiant is highest in the sky,鈥� he said in a NASA statement.
The Geminids can be seen with the naked eye, but you鈥檒l need to find a spot where the skies are very dark. Then, give your eyes some time to adjust to the dark and start scanning the skies.
Meteors should appear all over the sky, though not all will belong to the Geminid shower. Some might be from 鈥渂ackground meteors鈥� with names like Sigma Hydrids, Monocerotids, and the Comae Berenicids.
"When you see a meteor, try to trace it backwards," Cooke advises. "If you end up in the constellation Gemini, there's a good chance you've seen a Geminid."
