The annual Geminids Meteor shower is peaking Wednesday morning and will be visible through Dec. 17.
According to NASA, the shower started at or around 9 or 10 p.m. CST on Tuesday and it is expected to peak at 6 a.m. CST on Wednesday.
Viewers can still view Geminids after its peak, but dedicated observers could possibly spot one or two on the night of Dec. 17.
US SCIENTISTS PRODUCE FIRST SUCCESSFUL NUCLEAR REACTION RESULTING IN NET ENERGY GAIN
During perfect conditions, the Geminids produce approximately 100 to 150 meteors per hour.
This year, NASA pointed out that a waning gibbous moon would make viewing harder, resulting in just 30 to 40 visible meteors per hour at the peak in the Northern Hemisphere, depending on sky conditions.
However, the Geminids are bright.
The fragments travel at 78,000 miles per hour, and most burn up at altitudes between 45 and 55 miles.
The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Gemini.
NASA'S ORION SPACECRAFT SPLASHES DOWN IN OCEAN AFTER TEST FLIGHTT AROUND THE MOON
Those close to the radiant have very short trails and are easily missed.
Tracing back the meteor to the constellation can determine if you saw a Geminid. Other weaker showers occur simultaneously.
The Geminids originate from the debris of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which orbits the sun every 1.4 years.
Every year, the Earth passes through its trail of debris.
In the Southern Hemisphere, viewers only see around a quarter of the rates witnessed in the Northern Hemisphere.
