The annual Geminid Meteor Shower is expected to make its return this year to view nationwide.

This shower will produce up to 120 meteors per hour with some bright fireballs.

“Earth will encounter tiny sand-sized particles from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon with some gravel size pieces producing bright dramatic fireballs that will light up the sky as well as the ground,” said Astrometry Educator Gary Boyle. 

The meteors will harmlessly vaporize some 80 kilometers above the ground at a slow 35 kilometers per second.

“You don’t need any special equipment like a telescope to view the meteor shower, these are just shooting stars and can be quite spectacular,” said Boyle.

Boyle says the Geminid Meteor Shower will peak on the night of Dec 13th into the morning of Dec 14th.

More details about the Geminid Meteor Shower can be found by clicking here.