One of the most spectacular celestial shows of the year is set to peak this weekend, and lunar conditions are expected to provide convenient viewing windows on Friday and Saturday evening for people across Canada \u2013 as long as clouds don\u2019t get in the way.<\/p>\n
The annual Geminid meteor shower, named after the constellation Gemini, is considered to be one of the best and most reliable times to spot meteors as they streak across the sky.<\/p>\n
The Geminids are bright, fast and tend to be yellow in colour, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The shower started on Dec. 4, so some viewers may have already caught a glimpse, but it\u2019s set to peak on Saturday evening into early Sunday morning.<\/p>\n
At its peak, up to 150 meteors can be seen in the sky in a single hour.<\/p>\n
Last year on Dec. 13, the Geminids were difficult to spot at times due to a bright waxing gibbous moon that rose in the evening, making it harder to make out some of the dimmer meteors in the sky, according to The Weather Network.<\/p>\n
But this year, the moon is a less-bright waning crescent, which won\u2019t appear in the sky at all until the early hours of Sunday, making for a darker sky and better viewing conditions most of the night.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis shower is considered one of the best opportunities for young viewers since (it) starts around 9 or 10 p.m.,\u201d NASA says on its website<\/a>.<\/p>\n Of course, the Geminids can only be seen with a clear view of the sky unobstructed by cloud cover, and for most of Canada this weekend, it does \u201cnot look promising,\u201d according to The Weather Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n