You can follow the live stream of the Geminids Meteor Shower here. Yes, that’s right watch it live, even if the weather doesn’t allow where you are.

There’s going to be a beautiful spectacle over South Africa later tonight, on the night of Friday 14 December going into Saturday morning, when the Geminids Meteor Shower will be fully visible in the night skies.

So if you’re into stargazing, or just want to appreciate the beauty of the cosmos, we’ve put together a little guide to advise you of how to catch this breathtaking event. It’s going to be a late night, and an early morning, so please make sure you’ve got the coffee on.

What is the Geminids Meteor Shower?

It’s an annual event where meteors detach from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon. In fact, given its proximity to Jupiter, the solar system’s biggest planet has actually made the shower appear brighter than before. Its gravity has dragged 3200P closer to earth. But rest assured, we aren’t heading for an ‘Armageddon’ scenario just yet.

When can I see the Geminids Meteor Shower?

These little beauties will start lighting up the night sky from late on Friday night, with meteors visible from 22:00 onwards.

However, this isn’t the peak time to see them. According to both timeanddate and space.com, the shower will peak at around 02:00 on Saturday 15 December, and carry on at their brightest right up until 05:00. Great news for the night-owls of Mzansi. View the live stream here.

How many meteors can you see during Geminids?

At its peak, you can witness up to 120 meteors an hour. By a wide margin, this is way more than any of the other major meteor showers we’ve seen this year. This is an event that’s totally worth staying up for, or alternatively, you can set your alarms.

Where in the sky will Geminids be?

This might come as a shock, but you are looking for the ‘Geminids’ and ‘Gemini’ constellations. So you’ll need to look up in a north-to-north-westerly direction if you want to catch an eyeful.

This is how they appear in the night sky – without the text, of course. That’d just be cheating.

(www.vercalendario.info)

Here are your co-ordinates:

(vercalendario)

How do I find the best place to look?

There’s no stress if you can’t work out co-ordinates or constellations. Meteor showers are incredibly considerate things. They can be seen from almost anywhere, given their proximity to Earth and the route they travel. Follow our tips at the bottom of the page to find the ‘best possible’ view.

Will I need a telescope or binoculars to view Geminids?

No. The shower is completely visible to the naked eye. Even in light polluted areas, they are bright enough to spot as they fly above us.

What is the best way to see a meteor shower?

Getting out of the city will provide a better view

Take a blanket and a comfortable chair with you – watching meteors, just like any other kind of stargazing, is a waiting game, and you need to be comfortable.

Find a comfortable spot to lie on the ground, far away from lights and ideally in a dark-sky area

Don’t leave it up until the last minute. No matter where you are, your eyes need 20 – 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Get out nice and early, then kick back and wait.

Thanks to space.com, timeanddate, and vercalendario for being our reliable sources. They’ve never steered us wrong before, and can be consulted for further information.