If the weather keeps up late Sunday and Monday night (Dec. 13 and 14), you might be able to catch the "shooting stars" from the Geminid meteor shower, which are usually some of the more impressive meteor showers of the year, according to Sky & Telescope.
"The Geminids are usually one of the two best meteor showers of the year," said Alan MacRobert, senior editor at Sky & Telescope. "Sometimes they're more impressive than the better-known Perseids of August."
With a clear dark sky, a shooting star can be observed approximately every one to two minutes from 10 p.m. EST until dawn on Dec. 13 and 14. For a few nights before and after these dates, Geminid meteors will still be observable, just in lower counts.
"Go out late in the evening, lie back in a reclining lawn chair, and gaze up into the stars," said MacRobert. "Be patient."
The Geminid meteor showers occur in mid-December due to the fact that this is when the Earth passes through the debris field of the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, according to Popular Science. The small pieces of ice and rock that surround the asteroid's trajectory runs into the Earth, which burn up as they fall into its atmosphere.
Unlike other years, the moon will not likely make viewing the shower a problem, although light pollution is some areas may decrease your chances of seeing the meteors, according to Space.
View the meteor showers on Dec. 13 and 14 using NASA's Ustream service below:
