Meteor Shower Tonight: Geminid 2010 To Peak December 13, 14 (PHOTOS)

UPDATE: CLICK HERE to watch videos from the Geminid meteor shower.

Stargazers are in for a treat tonight as the annual Geminid meteor shower is set to peak in the early hours of December 14, 2010. According to The AP, astronomers predict that it will be the best meteor shower of the year, with over 100 blazing meteors streaking through the sky each hour.

While the entire shower should be somewhat visible between December 12 and December 16, the best time to watch is between midnight tonight and sunset tomorrow morning, with ideal visibility in the Northern Hemisphere.

The meteors will appear to fall from the Gemini constellation, thus the reason for its name, so face northeast to witness the spectacle.

According to National Geographic, Geminid is the only annual meteor shower though to come from an asteroid-like object, known as 3200 Phaethon, a three-mile-wide space rock discovered by a NASA satellite in 1983.

Check out some photos of previous years' Geminids below.

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In this Dec. XX, 2009 picture provided by Wally Pacholka of AstroPics.com, a Geminid fireball explodes over the Mojave Desert in the Jojave Desert, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2009. In mid-December 2010, the Geminid meteor shower will make its annual appearance, just in time for Christmas. Astronomers consider it the best meteor shower of 2010, with more than 100 meteors streaking through the night sky every hour. (AP Photo/AstroPics.com, Wally Pacholka)

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In this Dec. XX, 2009 picture provided by Wally Pacholka of AstroPics.com, a Geminid fireball explodes over the Mojave Desert in the Jojave Desert, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2009. In mid-December 2010, the Geminid meteor shower will make its annual appearance, just in time for Christmas. Astronomers consider it the best meteor shower of 2010, with more than 100 meteors streaking through the night sky every hour. (AP Photo/AstroPics.com, Wally Pacholka)

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Comments

[Daniel Malo]

05:07 PM on 12/14/2010

awesome

www.facebook.com/free.the.leaf
cannabis=industry.medicine.peace.

[chendri887]

09:51 AM on 12/14/2010

Geminid shower was incredible in southern California last night (December 13th). Sitting in my bathtub looking out the window, must have seen between 10 to 20 in one hour. And that was in the middle of the city. I can only imagine what it was like in more rural areas. Great show!

[aDelphinium]

04:34 AM on 12/14/2010

San Francisco's fogged in, as usual.

[leafblower]

06:23 AM on 12/14/2010

Los Angels too, of all times.

Well, good music and a nice fresh marine layer. Wine.

[emncaity]

01:17 PM on 12/14/2010

True. You can't drink a meteor shower, even a good one.

[AgingLady]

02:54 AM on 12/14/2010

Thanks for the information..am on my way!

[Michael Duane Weber]

02:43 AM on 12/14/2010

Ok i almost (SPACED) the shower till I wnet out side to fix our X-MAS ligths ,and saw a sweet shooting star I'm get bundeled up and hope i see some action>>>>

[G52]

02:04 AM on 12/14/2010

Best conditions in the north will be after midnight towards the north.

Binoculars are not helpful as they move so quickly.

Dress warm, find a dark spot, [park, country etc.] without bright lighting and bring a hot thermos of beverage of choice.

[Jelliott]

11:39 PM on 12/13/2010

Sorry folks but due to budge cutbacks, the meteor shower has been cancelled.

[Jelliott]

11:45 PM on 12/13/2010

....budget cutbacks.....

[RichieB]

11:51 PM on 12/13/2010

LOL, you may be right. I just went outside to look and didn't see anything. Going back out after 12:00. Brrr

[Jelliott]

12:33 AM on 12/14/2010

Just went out and saw about 10 of them. Freezing out tho. About 22 degrees here.

[G52]

02:07 AM on 12/14/2010

Pocket warmers and patience are helpful so is a "moonroof" if you drive to a dark site!

[leafblower]

11:15 PM on 12/13/2010

I have my alarm-clock set for past midnight. And even though I live in the city, I will try to catch one from my apartment rooftop.

[Dougdog]

05:50 PM on 12/13/2010

I love meteor showers

[isis]

05:18 PM on 12/13/2010

Brrr but ok.

[Rosewren]

11:29 PM on 12/13/2010

Wind chill is 20 below tonite, forget it for me.

[Abigail Bellamy]

04:42 PM on 12/13/2010

Just noticed there's a pretty nifty sky map on http://www­.spacedex.­com/gemini­ds - Hope it helps you see tonight's show. Can't wait!

[cincinnati]

05:02 PM on 12/13/2010

is that the best web site, free that is, that helps us
understand the night sky, from say Cincy or whatever ?

[CarolinaYankee]

03:25 PM on 12/13/2010

Think I will have to pass on the show. It is going to be 18 degrees with a wind chill added to that here on the Coast of S.C. That is weather we just do not go out in... High tomorrow is only going to be 37, we are usually in the 60's this time of year.  brrrrrrrrrrrrr

[theQMaster]

03:29 PM on 12/13/2010

Oh boy! There were -4F today in Midwest and I still think is not cold enough...

[cincinnati]

05:04 PM on 12/13/2010

you're so spoiled in the South....come on, just put on more clothes !

and how do you stand the backward politicians there ?
of course nutty, hateful John Boehner is just north of Cincy....

[hatedoll]

03:22 PM on 12/13/2010

It's going to be 5 degrees tonight.

I think I'll pass, especially since I didn't see anything the last meteor shower.

[G52]

02:05 AM on 12/14/2010

Pocket warmers are helpful!

[Starling5]

03:01 PM on 12/13/2010

I'm really looking forward to the 'sunset tomorrow morning'.

Really! Who wrote this?

[beau taylor]

05:58 PM on 12/13/2010

I caught that too. Never seen a morning sunset. It's gotta be rare.

[Jelliott]

11:45 PM on 12/13/2010

You have to be in the southern hemisphere for that.

[clancyben]

02:49 PM on 12/13/2010

Cant say ive ever looked up for a meteor shower... I guess living in LA it never made much sense. Tonight im surprising the girlfriend and taking her to a Mountaintop about 2 hours north. Hot chocolate, hand warmers, and gloves. Driving from 85 degree weather to snow and clear skies . Thank you California.

[beau taylor]

06:02 PM on 12/13/2010

I guess we'll just have to tuff it out here on the SC coast. My daughter's cooking up a spicy cinnamon sangria which should knock off the chill.

[aDelphinium]

04:32 AM on 12/14/2010

Lucky woman!