Geminids

I should have written about this days ago.

Tonight, December 13th, brings the climax of the Geminid meteor shower to the northern hemisphere. Unlike most meteor showers which have been observed for hundreds or even thousands of years, the first Geminid meteors suddenly appeared in the mid-1800's resulting from the orbit of a rocky asteroid now called 3200 Phaethon. Much more detailed information can be found on the NASA website. The show began on December 6th and will last for a few more days.

In the middle latitudes (ie. Seattle or New York and anything in between) Geminids meteors can be seen anytime after 10 p.m., when the constellation Gemini is well above the horizon. The best time to look is during the early morning hours between about 2 a.m. and dawn. That's when the local sky is pointing directly into the Geminid meteor stream.

You won't need binoculars or a telescope, the naked eye is the best way to see meteors.