The annual Geminid meteor shower has been active since late last month, and the shooting stars will ramp up to their peak Wednesday night into early Thursday.

The annual Geminids are one of the most spectacular meteor showers, and they peak Wednesday night into early Thursday morning. Under favorable viewing conditions, there can be up to 150 shooting stars per hour.

The constellation Gemini, from which the Geminids appear to radiate, rises in the evening as darkness falls in the east. Traveling across the southern sky during the night, it slowly descends towards the western horizon in the early hours of the morning.

The associated shooting stars are visible throughout the night. With a new moon on Wednesday, there is fortunately no moonlight to interfere this year. Find a dark area, look up at the sky, and be patient.

The Geminids can sweep across the entire field of vision in the night sky as they spread out in all directions from their point of emission in the constellation Gemini. Compared to other streams of shooting stars, the Geminids are relatively slow-moving and typically produce many bright fireballs shortly after their maximum.

Make sure to allow your eyes around 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Meteors will start to be visible around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. local time. However, if you head out even later, between midnight and 2 a.m., you may be treated to a more impressive show.

While stargazers in the central and southern Rockies and the Lone Star State may not have much luck with this meteor shower due to cloud cover, the rest of the U.S. should have a clear view. Check the WeatherRadar for sky conditions in your area.