Stargazers could have a grand time this weekend, as the grand display of Geminid meteor shower peaks during the nighttime hours of December 13 and December 14.
Based on a report by the National Geographic, around 20 to 60 meteors will drop across the sky per hour this coming Saturday and Sunday, and it can be seen despite this year's bright quarter moon that will rise around midnight if there will be a clear weather and sky condition.
The press release from Slooh described the Geminid shower as one of the most consistent and active events in the sky. This occurs because each year, planet Earth pass by the path of a Palladian asteroid called 3200 Phaeton that leaves a "falling star" effect. Those who will watch it underneath the sky can map out the meteors' paths backwards, which gives it the effect that they come from the Gemini constellation. That is why the celestial occurrence is given the name Geminid.
This weekend's Geminid meteor shower can be seen all over the world, but those living in the Northern Hemisphere have the slight advantage, since they have a better vantage view of the annual sky phenomenon.
The expected peaking time for the Geminid stellar event is around 9 p.m. on December 13 up to the early dawn of December 14.
Those in the rural areas can expect to see the full display of the meteor shower with just the naked eye, but those living in the cities may only find at least two falling stars per hour.
But for those who will have no opportunity to gaze under the open sky on the given dates can still enjoy watching the Geminid meteor shower through a live streaming offered by the "live online observatory" website called Slooh.
They will broadcast the event live from two different locations, including their flagship observatory located at the Institute of Astrophysics on the Canary Islands and from the Prescott Observatory based in Arizona.
The online streaming of the Geminid meteor shower will go live at 9 a.m. CST on Sunday.
