Spectators can head out on Thursday night, December 5, and watch for the 2013 Geminid meteor shower display in the night sky. A second meteor shower is even predicted to occur simultaneously with the Geminids, therefore, offering the viewers with a double-night-display treat.

"The Geminids are one of the best performers among the meteor showers of the year," Mark Hammergren, an astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, stated in the Florida Today report. "Meteors will appear in every part of the sky," Alan MacRobert, Sky & Telescope magazine senior editor, declared with the possibility of showing 100 shooting stars per hour.

In addition, a second meteor shower is predicted to occur simultaneously with the Geminid meteor display coming from the comet Wirtanen discovered in 1948. Mikhail Maslov, a Russian astronomer predicted that the meteor display can happen on Wednesday or Thursday based on the computer models that he ran with the meteors moving slower than the Geminids.

The Geminid meteor shower is expected to be active from December 4 to 17 with its peak activity happening on December 13 and 14 from moonset until the crack of dawn. According to the ZNews report, information from NASA's Web site suggest that the time to best view the Geminid meteor shower starts at about 9 or 10 p.m. until the pre-dawn hours with worldwide visibility.

On where to best view the meteor shower, the AccuWeather meteorologist Mark Paquette claimed that the best areas will be the Northeast, the Mid-Atlantic, the Midwest, the Plains and the interior Southeast. The problem pointed out in viewing the Geminid meteor shower peak is the Waxing Gibbous Moon shining brightly.

However, the EarthSky report assures that the brightness of the Geminid meteors have the capability to outshine the moonlight. The report reads: "In 2013, a bright waxing gibbous moon will interfere with the Geminids throughout most of the peak night. These meteors are often as good in the evening as in the hours between midnight and dawn. Plus Geminid meteors are often bright, so, if there's a bright moon, many meteors may be able to overcome the harsh moonlight."

More Articles to Read:

2013 Geminid Meteor Shower: Sky Event Set to Peak on December 13 and 14 - [READ]

How to Best View Moon and Venus: Planet to Shine Brightly Close to the Moon at Dusk and Daytime from December 4 to 6 - [READ]

2013 Comet ISON: 'Comet of the Century' Showing Signs of Survival After Closest Approach to the Sun? - [READ]

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