Geza Gyuk, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, is among the many scientists who believe that today's and Tuesday's Geminid showings will arguably be the most enchanting meteor showers of the year.
"The Geminids have been slowly getting better over the past years, making it one of the best showers," Gyuk told National Geographic. "And it has become very reliable, so we can expect a fairly nice show."
No Ph.D. in astronomy? No worries. Surge Desk offers a quick Geminid Q&A to get you ready for some stargazing:
When is the best time to watch?
Those stargazers willing to brave low temperatures and late hours will be rewarded. The peak viewing time "will center on the early morning hours of December 14, between about 2 a.m. and dawn," according to National Geographic.
Where should I look for the meteors?
The best views will be offered in the Northern Hemisphere (sorry, Antarctica.) The shower will rise over the eastern horizon, so stargazers should face northeast to enjoy the show.
How many meteors can I expect to see?
According to NASA, "realistic viewing rates" for this year's shower are "50-80 meteors per hour and potential peaks reaching 120 meteors per hour."
How does this meteor shower differ from the Perseid meteor shower?
Unlike the Perseid meteor shower, Geminid meteors fly by fairly slowly in "long duration streaks" and appear in various colors, according to Astronomy Now's Greg Smye-Rumsby.
Is star gazing safe?
To put a twist on what the late Kenneth Franklin, former chief astronomer for New York's Hayden Planetarium, once told a concerned sky-gazer, the only danger of watching the Geminid meteor shower is falling asleep in the snow.
