One of the last, but most spectacular meteor showers of the year, the Geminids, is set to dazzle stargazers overnight on Saturday, producing as many as 120 meteors an hour at their 2 a.m. ET peak on December 14.

First observed in 1862, the Geminid shooting stars are known to be dazzlingly bright, fast, and even multi-colored due to their unusual chemical composition, being made up of sodium, calcium oxygen, magnesium and nickel. Unlike most meteor showers, which are caused by icy comets, the Geminids stem from the debris trail of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, a rocky body.

What To Know

The annual Geminid shower occurs every December as the Earth crosses the debris trial left by Phaethon, and the rocks and dust burn up as they hit our atmosphere, creating the bright shooting stars.

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