This weekend, skywatchers will have an opportunity to see the Geminids meteor shower, which experts anticipate to produce up to 80 meteors per hour.
Here are some facts why you should not miss this show: the Geminids are the year's most intense meteor shower because of the massive amount of debris falling to our planet.
"Of all the debris streams Earth passes through every year, the Geminids' is by far the most massive," said NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. "When we add up the amount of dust in the Geminid stream, it outweighs other streams by factors of 5 to 500."
The Geminids meteor shower is also special in that unlike most meteor showers, it is not caused by debris from a comet. Its source, 3200 Phaethon which was discovered by NASA's IRAS satellite in 1983, is an asteroid.
This year's Geminids have actually started on Dec. 4 but the best time to watch the spectacle will be this weekend. With favorable weather and clear skies, the last major meteor shower of 2014 can be witnessed at night on Dec. 13 and Dec. 14.
A clear and dark sky should treat skywatchers with the sight of a shooting star every minute starting at around 9 p.m. EST until dawn albeit those who live in areas with light pollution may see reduced number of shooting stars.
People who live in the rural area can see 60 to 80 shooting stars an hour without the need for any special equipment, said Slooh astronomer Bob Berman. Those who live in the cities, however, can only see between one and two per hour.
AccuWeather.com Meteorologist Andy Mussolin said that among the best spots to view the spectacle will be across the East. The interior West and southern Southwest are also expected to have clear skies so those who live in these areas will have good viewing conditions.
Clouds due to an approaching storm will limit the views of spectators' across parts of the West Coast. The Rockies and Plains will also have fair to poor viewing conditions.
Nonetheless, those who can't get out of the city or will be hindered by the cloudy skies can still watch the Geminids online. Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi will have a live broadcast of the show via the website Virtual Telescope Project beginning at 9PM EST on Saturday. Slooh will also broadcast the event starting 11 P.M. on Saturday.
