Geminid meteor shower to be most clear Wednesday night

A meteor shower that began last month and will continue until Christmas Eve is set to be its brightest and most visible Wednesday night.

KSTP sister station WDIO reports that Geminids are known to be some of the best and brightest of the year, and that this year’s lunar cycle contributed to overall visibility.

With a new moon on Tuesday, Dec. 12, a thin waxing crescent is expected for Wednesday night, so the moon is not expected to brighten the sky.

The meteors radiate from near the constellation Gemini.

Visibility is expected to begin in the evening, around 9 or 10 p.m., and is expected to peak between midnight and 2 a.m. Thursday looking to the northeast. As many as 120 meteors per hour may be seen.

NASA also tells stargazers that it’ll take about 30 minutes for eyes to adjust to the dark. Anyone who chooses to venture out for the meteor shower is encouraged to dress for the weather.

Cloud cover is not expected to be an issue, with mostly cloudy skies forecast for Wednesday night.