Up to 120 Geminids meteors can be seen per hour in skies above S'pore on Dec. 13-14, if weather permits

The Geminid meteor shower, considered one of the best and most reliable annual showers of the year, will peak between Dec. 13 and 14.

During the shower, up to 120 meteors an hour will light Singapore's night sky, leaving glowing trails in their wake.

No special equipment is needed to view the meteors according to the Science Centre Observatory.

How to view

The shower will appear across the entire sky and is best viewed after 11pm.

To avoid Singapore's light pollution, observers should seek darker locations with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky, such as parks, beaches, reservoirs, or open spaces away from city lights.

It's also a good idea to check the weather forecast for clear skies, as cloud cover can obstruct views of the meteors.

Shooting stars

Renowned for its bright and fast meteors, the Geminids is unusual in that its "shooting stars" are produced by debris from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

Typically, meteors originate from comets, although they can originate from various sources and even other planets.

But what causes them to light up?

The rocks enter Earth's atmosphere at high speed, causing the gases around them to glow and burn up. These are called "meteors".

When multiple meteors emerge from a single point in the night sky — typically, when the Earth travels through a cloud of interplanetary debris left behind from a comet or asteroid  — they're called "meteor showers".

And because Earth goes through the same debris trails every year, in its orbit around the sun, these meteor showers are an annual affair that can be predicted.

Top image from Magic Carpet Media/YouTube