Don't miss the most spectacular view of Geminid meteor shower

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Meteors are seen in the sky during the Geminid meteor showers in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka, December 14, 2023. /CFP

The year's best meteor shower, the Geminids, reaches its zenith this week. The meteors will reach their frenzy at 3:00 a.m. on Friday (Beijing time), according to Xiu Lipeng, a member of the Chinese Astronomical Society. Skygazers may see as many as one or even two a minute streaking across dark skies on Thursday night.

This week's new moon will make for prime viewing anywhere in the world where skies are clear and in spots without light pollution.

NASA urged observers to look everywhere in the sky since meteors don't come from any particular direction. Between 60 and 120 meteors are expected every hour at peak time, weather permitting.

NASA meteoroid expert Bill Cooke said he loves that the Geminids have a greenish hue as they speed across the sky and burn up. Depending on their chemical makeup, most meteors appear colorless or white. Green usually comes from oxygen, magnesium and nickel.

Most meteor showers originate from comets. But the Geminids come from the sun-orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Either way, when Earth passes through these leftover bits of comets or asteroids, the fragments encounter Earth's atmosphere and put on quite the show.

(With input from AP)