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Annual Geminid meteor shower peaks Thursday night, Friday morning

The Geminids peak every December, with moonlight projected to have a dimming effect on some shooting stars.

ROANOKE, Va. – Every December, sky-gazers wait on the Geminid meteor shower. The Geminids are typically a good show too, but this year may have a few hurdles in the way.

The first hurdle to clear is the moonlight. The moon will be very close to full (94% full to be exact), which may dim out some shooting stars. Experts from EarthSky still expect that some shooting stars will overcome the moonlight. Some estimates of 20-30 meteors per hour have been forecast for this year, although these projections can often be overdone.

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Get out as early as 9 p.m., and dress warmly. Peak activity usually isn’t until 2 a.m.

The second hurdle to clear is the weather. Your Local Weather Authority continues to watch for freezing rain early Friday morning. While the sky may start out clear Thursday night, clouds will gradually thicken overnight into Friday morning.

Keep tabs with us for timing, totals and possible impacts from this weather maker.

If you miss out on this showing, look for the Quadrantids the night of January 3.