#meteor-shower

#meteor-shower

The annual Geminids meteor shower is a favorite celestial sight around the holidays for many. This year's show is due to peak this weekend with near-ideal viewing conditions for observers in the Northern Hemisphere. Named for the constellation Gemini from which they appear to radiate, the Geminidsor Gems for shortusually offer the best and brightest falling stars for skywatchers to see out of all the major annual meteor showers.

Oct. 8 marks the peak of the annual Draconid Meteor Shower -a famously unpredictable event that can produce anywhere from a handful to over a thousand shooting stars per hour. The Draconid shower is started on Oct. 6 and lasts through Oct. 10. There are typically 10 meteors per hour visible during its peak, but some experts are predicting a much more dramatic show in the sky this year.

The inner solar system was violent 4 billion years ago, with a heavy bombardment lasting 500 million years, which has since calmed significantly.