In 2013, we have a bright waxing gibbous moon lighting up the peak nights of the annual Geminid meteor shower. Tonight (night of December 12-13) and tomorrow night should present a decent number of meteors. Which night is better? The forecast calls for tomorrow night (December 13-14) to be the peak night, but the moon will set earlier tonight, giving you more dark time before dawn for meteor-watching. You might see some meteors in the bright moonlight. But also take advantage of the dark predawn sky windows on Friday and Saturday mornings!
In the Northern Hemisphere, this meteor shower often rates as one of the best – if not the best – shower of the year on a dark, moonless night. You can often see up to 50 or more meteors per hour in a moonless sky.
Although the Geminids favor the Northern Hemisphere, this shower is also visible from the tropical and subtropical parts of the Southern Hemisphere. At temperate latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere, the meteor numbers tend to be lower.
