Head for dark, clear skies tonight — overnight Dec. 13-14 — to see the shooting stars of the Geminid meteor shower overhead. 
 
 The shower is likely to be the best meteor shower of 2018, and it will be visible in both hemispheres — though the Northern Hemisphere will have an advantage. While the August Perseid meteor shower is more famous, experts are saying to get outside for this one as well. 
 
 "Maybe [it's less well known] because it's cold for so many during this shower's peak," Diana Hannikainen, Sky & Telescope's observing editor, said in a statement. "But the Geminids are often the best display of 'shooting stars' all year." [Geminid Meteor Shower 2018: When, Where & How to See It] 
 
 Geminid meteors appear to diverge from a single spot in the sky, called the radiant, located in the constellation Gemini. But you'll see as many as possible if you lean back and take in the whole sky — they can appear anywhere across the sky, traveling away from that point. Credit: Sky & Telescope/Gregg Dinderman 
 
 According to Sky & Telescope, the Geminids are set to peak at 7:30 a.m. EST (1130 GMT) on Dec. 14, when Earth plunges through the thickest part of the trail of dust and debris left behind by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon as it orbits the sun. That means that the best times to watch are when it's dark in your local time zone surrounding that peak, such as just before dawn on Dec. 14. 
 
 But if you won't be up in those early hours, you can also start watching a couple hours after sunset; the moon will set at about 10:30 p.m. local time on Dec. 13, and about 11 p.m. local time on Dec. 14, so just look after that on either of those nights. 
 
 "If you've got a clear, dark sky with no light pollution, you might see a meteor streak across the sky every minute or two from 10 p.m. until dawn on the night of the peak," Hannikainen said. 
 
 The darker the skies, the more meteors you are likely to see, but some are bright enough to see in even less-than-favorable conditions. The meteors can appear all across the sky, but they'll appear to be flying away from the area of the bright star Castor in the Gemini constellation. 
 
 Leading up to the peak, fainter meteors are more common, and at the peak the brighter ones are, according to Sky & Telescope. Though they'll appear in fewer numbers, the week surrounding the Geminids' peak may still provide a good show. 
 
 The orbit of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which passes around the sun once every 1.4 years. Though it is an asteroid, its elongated path is reminiscent of comets. The Geminid meteor shower comes every year when Earth passes through the debris left along the asteroid's path. Credit: Sky & Telescope diagram 
 
 The meteors are bits of material left behind by 3200 Phaethon — they burn up in Earth's atmosphere, creating streaks and fireballs in the night sky. 3200 Phaethon, a 3-mile-across (4.8 kilometers) object, orbits the sun every 1.4 years, ejecting rocky dust along its path. The asteroid passes closer to the sun than any other known asteroid, according to Sky & Telescope. 
 
 As Earth barrels through that dust and debris, its particles hit the atmosphere at 22 miles per second (35 km/s) and are vaporized in a fiery glow. Particles that hit straight-on, near the radiant, will have shorter streaks, whereas those grazing the atmosphere farther away from the radiant will leave longer streaks. (There may be more of those in the early evening, when the radiant is lower in the sky.) 
 
 A fireball streaks across the sky in this photo by Alan Dyer of the 2004 Geminid meteor shower. Credit: Sky & Telescope/Alan Dyer 
 
 To best take in the Geminids, dress warmly and prepared to be outside for a long time — it takes at least 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark. You'll see the most meteors if you lean back and look at as much of the sky as possible; don't be tempted to use a telescope or binoculars, because they'll restrict your field of view. 
 
 "Go out in the evening, lie back in a reclining lawn chair, and gaze up into the stars," Hannikainen said. "With the radiant rising in the evening, this is a good shower for younger observers who may have earlier bedtimes. But as always, it's good to remember to be patient." 
 
 Editor's note: If you snap an amazing photo of the 2018 Geminid meteor shower that you'd like to share with Space.com and our news partners for a possible story or image gallery, send comments and images in to: spacephotos@space.com. 
 
 Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Original article on Space.com. ||||| There are a lot of good shows happening in Metro Vancouver this summer, but one of the best will be taking place Monday and Tuesday nights this week in the sky. 
 
 The annual Perseid meteor shower — an event that could bring as many as 100 fire balls every hour — will reach its peak overnight on Tuesday. 
 
 This could be one of the best shows in years given that the shower will coincide with a new moon for the first time since 2007. That will help lower the lights even more and make the meteors more visible. 
 
 Along with a moonless night, the weather will also be cooperate as clear skies and warm temperatures are in the forecast. 
 
 Tips for primetime viewing 
 
 Have we convinced you to spend some night time outdoors? Here are some tips for prime viewing: 
 
 Get as far away from city lights as possible. Squamish, B.C., Boundary Bay Regional Park and Abbotsford's Mcdonald Park are all well known as sky-gazing vantage points. But even if you just take half an hour in your own metro neighborhood, you have a shot. Grab a chair and that's all. The Perseids are best seen with the naked eye so be prepared to let your eyes adjust for at least 20 min. And that means no cellphone light! Let your eyes relax and look towards the darkest patch in the sky. You should see at least one every few minutes. The best viewing will likely occur after midnight and into the early morning hours. 
 
 Even though the peak occurs overnight Aug. 11 to Aug. 13, the meteors will be showering until Aug. 24. This is the time frame that Earth is passing through the debris trail left by comet Swift-Tuttle. 
 
 As our planet moves through its dust shower, comet particles will collide with our atmosphere, burn up and create flashes of light that will be visible right across the skies of Northern Hemisphere. 
 
 Happy hunting! 
 
 Send us your photos of the Perseid meteor shower at cbcnewsvancouver@cbc.ca, tweet us at @cbcnewsbc or via Facebook to CBC Vancouver. ||||| Don't look now, but the sky is falling. 
 
 Or maybe you do want to look; it's harmless and pleasant. Every year at this time, the Leonid meteor shower briefly brightens the sky. 
 
 The peak comes this weekend, in the hours before dawn on Saturday. If the weather is clear and you have an appetite, you may enjoy a quiet display of shooting stars. 
 
 We're passing through the debris left by a comet called 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. As pieces -- some as small as grains of sand -- burn up in the upper atmosphere, they leave brief, bright streaks. They'll appear to come from the constellation of Leo the Lion, south of the Big Dipper, though they can appear anywhere in the night sky. 
 
 Courtesy Dennis Boon A shooting star from the Quadrantid meteor... View Full Size Courtesy Dennis Boon A shooting star from the Quadrantid meteor shower in January, as captured by a photographer in Suffolk, England. 
 
 Unfortunately, the Leonids are not one of astronomy's bigger spectacles; there are usually only about a dozen meteors per hour, though they have been known to surprise skywatchers. While Saturday morning is the peak, there can be Leonid meteors several nights before and after. 
 
 And if you don't want to bother with this one, there's another shower, the Geminids, coming around Dec. 13. So bundle up - when they're at their best, you may see 100 shooting stars an hour. 
 
 Be alert; most meteors streak by in a second or less, sometimes in clusters. The best way to see them is to find a nice, dark place with no street lights and as few trees as possible, and look up. You may be happiest in a lawn chair or a sleeping bag. 
 
 The moon, at least, will not be a problem. It is only a crescent at the moment. If you see it at all, it will set in the early evening, well before the Leonids peak. 
 
 In general, there are more shooting stars in the morning hours because that's the side of the Earth that faces forward as we orbit the Sun, so it's less shielded. While the shower actually peaks tonight, meteors are often spotted several nights before and after. 
 
 It's best if you're far from cities, have clear skies, and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. (Go to our weather page for conditions near you.) Astronomers will tell you that meteor showers are best if you regard them as something to be savored, rather than awed by. 
 
 So if you're out late tonight, or are up before dawn, take a look. If it's cloudy, you're out of luck. Get some sleep.
– The “best meteor shower of 2018” will be on display overnight, Space.com reports. The Geminid meteor shower will be visible above North America before sunrise Friday, CNN reports, and it will peak at 7:30am EST (find the best viewing time for your location here). Checking out the shower is easy—no special equipment required, Sky & Telescope’s Diana Hannikainen says in a statement. “Go out in the evening, lie back in a reclining lawn chair, and gaze up into the stars,” she says. “This is a good shower for younger observers who may have earlier bedtimes.” Clear, dark skies are the best for viewing, of course. Hannikainen says that under good conditions, you may see the light of a meteor streaking across the sky every minute or two.