This photo, taken late Dec. 14, 2018 with a long exposure, shows a meteor streaking through the night sky over Myanmar during the Geminids meteor shower seen from Wundwin township near Mandalay city. Ye Aung Thu/AFP via Getty Images
Turn your attention skyward Saturday evening to catch the peak of the annual Geminids meteor shower.
The bright yellow streaks appear each December, with meteors zipping through the sky at rates up to about 120 per hour, according to NASA.
Observers in the Northern Hemisphere will have the best views, though the shower is visible from the Southern Hemisphere as well.
Most meteor showers come from comet debris, but the Geminids originate from asteroid 3200 Phaethon, a relatively small object about 3.17 miles across that scientists are still studying.
Asteroids are generally rocky or metallic and usually found in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, while comets are composed mostly of ice and develop tails when heated.
NASA notes that Phaethon may be a “dead comet” or a different type of object sometimes called a “rock comet.”
If you plan to watch, lie on your back outdoors with your feet pointed south. After roughly 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you should begin to see Geminid meteors; the display can continue until dawn.