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Geminid meteor shower peaks Saturday; plus photo tips!
FILE: A Geminid meteor streaks diagonally across the sky against a field of star trails over one of the peaks of the Seven Sisters rock formation early December 14, 2007 in the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. This year, the shower will peak late Saturday through the predawn hours Sunday, with 100 to 120 meteors visible per hour.
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Ethan Miller/Getty Images
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Barring any further inclement weather Saturday night, stargazers may be able to catch a glimpse of the annual Geminid meteor shower lighting up the skies over the weekend. The "lively" shower that started last Monday will peak from late Saturday through the predawn hours Sunday, with about 100 to 120 meteors visible per hour, according to the NASA website.
A map from Accuweather.com shows that visibility for the usually brilliant Geminids will not be great in Southern California, just fair. NASA's tips for viewing include getting away from city lights, though you'll probably want to carry a blanket with you.
Click here for tips on shooting great photos of the Geminid meteor shower.
According to the NASA website, Geminids are part of the "extinct comet" known as 3200 Phaethon, the trail of which Earth runs into every December. As the name suggests, the meteors appear be shooting out of the constellation Gemini.
Video: Geminid meteor shower explainer
Happy viewing!
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