Geminid meteor shower to light up the night sky on Friday

Grab a jacket and get ready for what experts say is one of the best meteor showers of the year on Friday night.

“Arguably the best meteor shower of the entire year peaks on Friday night into the early hours of Saturday morning,” AccuWeather astronomy blogger Dave Samuhel said. “The Geminid shower is just as or slightly more active than the Perseid meteor shower of August.”

Although the Geminid shower is expected to peak at the end of the week, meteors may still be visible for several days after, according to Space.com. It is normally the most active meteor shower of the year with up to 100 meteors visible per hour, says NASA.

Best viewing is expected after 10:30 p.m., peaking at 2 a.m. To see them best, according to NASA, get away from bright lights, lay on your back and look up. Your eyes may take a minute to adjust, but it makes viewing the meteors much easier.

Some rain showers are expected in Sonoma County earlier in the evening on Friday but are expected to dissipate early enough to make it possible to view the meteors unobstructed.

If you'd rather watch from the comfort of your home, you watch a live stream at www.virtualtelescope.eu.