Save the date! Spectacular Geminid meteor shower to light up the sky

The Geminids – among the few major meteor showers to come from asteroids – will peak on Friday.

"Each year, the Geminid meteor shower is active roughly from December 4 to 20, with a zenith hourly rate generally stable around 150 during its peak, explained Wang Kechao from Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"It is often regarded as the most consistent meteor shower of the year, never disappointing astronomy enthusiasts who wait for it. This is how it got its nickname as 'the most reliable meteor shower,'" Wang said.

The Geminids are visible across the globe due to a nearly 24-hour broad maximum. The peak of this year's Geminid meteor shower occurs under a nearly full moon, reducing visibility, said NASA.

Multiple meteor showers occur annually and special equipment isn't needed to see them. They are usually most visible between midnight and predawn hours.

It's easier to see shooting stars under dark skies, away from city lights. Meteor showers also appear brightest on cloudless nights when the moon wanes smallest.

What is a meteor shower?

Most meteor showers originate from the debris of comets, but a few – including the Geminids – result from the debris of asteroids. The Geminids come from the sun-orbiting asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

When rocks from space enter Earth's atmosphere, the resistance from the air makes them very hot. This causes the air to glow around them and briefly leaves a fiery tail behind them – the end of a "shooting star."

The next meteor shower, the Ursids, will peak around December 22.

(With input from AP)