Spectacular Geminid meteor shower peaks in Ontario and beyond

A spectacular meteor shower peaks this week and should be visible in Ontario and around the globe.

The Geminids meteor shower is considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers, according to NASA.

Each year, the meteor shower falls between Nov. 19 to Dec. 24 but peaks on the nights of Dec. 13 and 14 in the northern hemisphere, according to space.com.

The Geminids are bright and fast meteors and tend to be yellow in colour, according to NASA.

With approximately 120 meteors per hour, there is a good chance of seeing a meteor or what is often referred to as a shooting star.

And this year, the shower’s peak time also falls during a new moon phase making the night sky darker and the meteors more visible.

The best way to see Geminids is to get to a dark sky area — out of the city if possible. And while they are most visible late at night and in the predawn hours, the shower starts around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., according to NASA.

If the sky is clear, it should be easy to spot the meteors —  look to the northeast of the constellation Orion, between the Taurus and Cancer constellations, according to space.com.

While there are partly cloudy conditions with possible flurries in the forecast for tonight (Dec. 13), it is still possible to see the meteors. And the predawn and evening of Dec. 14 could also be a good time to catch the shower.

NASA also suggests you wait about 30 minutes in the dark to allow your eyes to adapt and then you will begin to see meteors.

“Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse,” NASA says.

For more tips and tricks to see meteors and other night sky phenomena, see the Canadian Space Agency page.