{"id":791956,"date":"2024-12-12T06:45:08","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T11:45:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=791956"},"modified":"2024-12-12T06:45:08","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T11:45:08","slug":"what-to-know-viewing-tips-npr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/spaceweekly.com\/?p=791956","title":{"rendered":"What to know, viewing tips : NPR"},"content":{"rendered":"


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\n A meteor burns up in the sky over al-Abrak desert north of Kuwait City during the annual Geminid meteor shower early on Dec. 15, 2023.
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Yasser al-Zayyat\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

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If you’re stargazing this week, you have a chance to see brilliant streaks across the sky as the Geminid meteor shower peaks.<\/p>\n

The Geminids, which are bright and have a yellow hue, are considered one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers, when at least 120 meteors are usually seen per hour during its peak, NASA says. <\/p>\n

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The Geminid meteor shower peaks in the middle of December, with the most activity this year expected late Friday and into early Saturday, according to NASA. <\/p>\n

Unlike other meteors, which originate from comets, the Geminids are thought to come from an asteroid \u2014 3200 Phaethon \u2014 which is nearly 3 miles across and orbits the sun every 1.4 years. It was discovered Oct. 11, 1983, and is named after Phaethon, the child of sun god Helios in Greek mythology who drove his father’s chariot close to the sun. In the night sky, the meteors appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini, where the Geminids get their name. <\/p>\n