Geminid meteor shower peaks on December 14, 2011

Geminid meteor shower in 2009 | Courtesy of Shusaku Tago

If you missed the total lunar eclipse last Saturday, here's a consolation for you. Another celestial phenomenon is set to peak on December 14, 2011 which is tonight. It is the annual Geminid meteor shower which reportedly will produce 40 shooting stars an hour.

Tonight's meteor shower will start at around 9:30 p.m. (Philippine Standard Time) till the early hours of the following morning. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, however, warned that a "waning gibbous moon" will interfere with the show.

The Geminid meteor shower is visible to the naked eye under a dark and cloudless sky. It could be observed initially in the eastern sky, then overhead, and in the western sky.

According to a Wikipedia article, the Geminid meteor shower is thought to be intensifying every year and recent showers have seen 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, generally around 2am to 3am local time. The meteors from this shower are slow moving, Wikipedia added.