How to see the year's biggest meteor shower tonight

Stargazers are in for a treat tonight with one of the most distinctive meteor showers in the sky to be at its most visible.

The Geminid meteor shower will reach peak visibility around the world late this week, being visible in both hemispheres.

Here's what you need to know about getting a look in Australia.

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What is the Geminid meteor shower?

The Geminid meteor shower is caused by the passing of the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

The "shooting stars" that meteor showers appear to be, are actually bits of debris from the asteroid, burning up in Earth's atmosphere.

Why is the Geminid meteor shower special?

Meteor showers are often formed from comets, but Phaethon 3200 is, as mentioned, an asteroid.

Asteroids are rocky objects, while comets are made of ice.

That means the debris from an asteroid is heavier, and burns brighter when it enters our atmosphere and becomes a meteor.

The Geminid shower can produce up to 120 meteors an hour.

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How can I get the best view?

According to Weatherzone, the meteor shower will peak tonight and into early tomorrow morning.

The meteors appear to emerge from the constellation Gemini - hence the name "Geminid", which is in the north of Australia's night sky.

However, tonight will also boast a nearly full moon, which could affect visibility.

But astronomer Andrew Jacob told Weatherzone said there were still optimal viewing times.

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"There is a short window of about half an hour between moonset and the start of dawn," he said.

"Viewing during that brief window provides the best opportunity to see the meteors."

People are urged to go somewhere away from city lights, as the darkness aids visibility.

And be patient - it can be a long wait for the display.

One last question - when is moonset?

Moonset on the morning of December 14 in our capitals is as follows (all times are local):

Sydney: 3.59am

Melbourne: 4.12am

Brisbane: 3.08am

Adelaide: 4.17am

Perth: 3.30am

Hobart: 3.45am

Darwin: 4.43am

Canberra: 4.03am

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