The Geminids, considered one of the best and most reliable meteor showers of the year, are underway and are expected to peak Friday night into early Saturday.

The shower will peak when the moon is nearly full, which could make spotting the cosmic spectacle a challenge. According to NASA, the moon’s light will wash out the fainter meteors during the peak.

“However, the Geminids are known for bright meteors and it is common to spot their shooting stars up to a week before their peak,” NASA said. “If you get up before sunrise this week, it’s worth looking up just in case you spot a speck of dust from space streaking through the morning sky.”

When and where you can see the twins

The light from the nearly full moon will reduce the visible rates of the Geminids by 50-75% during this year’s peak, said Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. According to NASA, the brightest meteors will still be visible.

With a bright moon on the peak night, an observer in the U.S. could see about 15 Geminids per hour, Cooke said.

“In short, 2024 is a bad year for observing Geminids – December 2025 will be much better,” Cooke said.

The Geminid meteor shower is visible around the world and in the night sky. For optimal viewing conditions, move to a location far from city and street lights and then lie flat on your back with your feet facing south. Give your eyes half an hour to adjust to the darkness.

NASA recommends bringing a sleeping bag or blanket to ease the cold while waiting for the Geminids.

The shower usually begins around 9 or 10 p.m., with meteors best viewed at night or in the early morning hours.

What is a meteor shower?

According to NASA, meteors are space rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere and heat up as they fall to Earth. As they streak through the sky, the glowing, hot air around the meteors gives the meteors the appearance of shooting stars. During meteor showers, many meteors travel through the Earth’s atmosphere within a short period of time.

Most meteors burn up in space. The few that survive the journey and reach the ground are considered meteorites.

What makes the Geminids different from other meteor showers?

According to NASA, the Geminids are one of the most powerful meteor showers of the year, with a rate of 120 meteors per hour under perfect conditions.

While most meteor showers originate from comets, the Geminids actually originate from an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. NASA researchers say the asteroid acts like a “strange” comet.

And while NASA says most meteors appear colorless or white, the Geminids are usually yellow in color.

The annual Geminid meteor shower first appeared in the mid-19th century.