Everyone in Massachusetts should have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of spectacular cosmic phenomenon this weekend.

The Geminids meteor shower, which NASA says is one of the best meteor showers of the year, will peak Sunday night into Monday morning with up 150 meteors per hour.  The Geminids can produce a good number of meteors most years, but this year’s peak coincides with a new moon. With darker skies, even faint meteors will be visible.

The Geminids actually began on Dec. 4 and will continue through Dec. 17, but the best viewing for Massachusetts residents will be this Sunday night. The best time to look up toward the northeast sky is from 11:30 p.m. Sunday to 3 a.m. on Monday. Nasa estimates that the peak of the showers will be 2 a.m. Monday morning.

According to Nasa, the meteors are caused as Earth plows through the trail of debris left behind in the orbit of asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which could be a burnt-out comet.
For the best viewing, find a safe location away from bright lights. Lie flat on the ground with your feet pointing south and look up. Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, but they’ll appear to radiate from near the constellation Gemini.
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