One of the best meteor showers of the year peaks this week, and if conditions are clear, experts say skywatchers could see about 120 shooting stars per hour.
The annual Geminids meteor shower has been active since late November, and the shooting stars will reach their peak Wednesday night through early Thursday.
According to NASA, the Geminids are considered one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year. Under ideal conditions – clear weather and away from light pollution – stargazers can see more than one meteor streak every minute in the night sky.
NASA said this year, there will be minimal moonlight to interfere with the colorful sky show.
The Geminids are known as bright and fiery meteors, often appearing yellow or white, although they can also be green, red, and even blue.
“Most meteors appear colorless or white, although the Geminids appear with a green tint. They are beautiful meteors!” Bill Cook, head of the Meteorite Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, said in a blog post earlier this month.