One of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year producing up to 120 meteors per hour, the Geminids occur annually in early December as the orbit of Earth passes through a trail of debris in space left by an extinct comet called 3200 Phaethon.

This meteor shower is named for the constellation Gemini from which its meteors seem to emerge in the night sky. It will be active between December 6 and 17, peaking on December 14. The best time for viewing is a couple hours after midnight.

Every meteor shower has a radiant — a point in the night sky from which the meteors seem to originate. Those with a radiant high up in the sky produce the best displays. For the Geminids, the radiant is in the constellation Gemini.

The Geminids are noted for their colors compared to other showers. Meteors in this shower will shine white, yellow, blue, red and green.