On top of being Friday the 13th, meteors will also be slung across the night sky during the winter Geminid meteor shower, set to begin tonight through tomorrow.
According to Space.com, the Geminid meteor shower is nearly 200 years old, according to known records. The first recorded observation was in 1833 from a riverboat floating along the Mississippi River and continues to grow stronger over time, due to Jupiter’s gravity tugging the stream of particles from the shower’s source, according to Space.com, as the asteroid 3200 Phaethon continues to creep closer to Earth.
Peak viewing of the meteor shower will be later this evening into early morning, according to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke, with bright meteors potentially remaining visible for the next few days. In the event of cloudy skies tonight, viewers can view the show through the live cameras at the American Meteor Society.
The Geminids are considered by many to be one of the best meteor showers every year because of their brightness, on top of their fast and furious return every year. This year, because of the moonlight, Space.com predicts around 20-30 meteors may be visible each hour.