Geminid Meteor Shower 2023 will light up skies TONIGHT: How and when to see up to 150 multicoloured shooting stars every HOUR

This evening stargazers will enjoy the best meteor shower of the year as it lights up the sky.

Geminids will reach their dazzling peak this evening with up to 150 multi-colored meteors every hour.

Conditions will be excellent for viewing this rainbow display, so it will be worth braving the cold weather.

Watching the last and brightest meteor shower of 2023 couldn't be easier than ever — and best of all, you won't even need any special equipment.

Dr Robert Massey, Deputy Executive Director of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: “Just try to find a dark spot away from the city lights and look for it!”

Geminis appear to radiate from the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini, but it's actually best not to look directly at this area of ​​the night sky as this may limit the number you see.

Meteorites, like those found in the Geminids, are caused by tiny fragments of space debris that slam into our atmosphere at 43 miles per second (70 km/s).

When they burn in the friction of the Earth's atmosphere, they ignite and burn brightly before they are consumed.

While there are about six random meteors visible every hour from anywhere on Earth, meteor showers are more intense.

These are usually caused by the Earth moving through a cloud of debris left behind by a passing comet.

Geminids are unique in that they do not come from a comet, but instead consist of the debris of an asteroid called 3200 Paethon.

However, scientists are still debating whether Python should be considered an asteroid at all.

While Paethon is made of rock like an asteroid, it does not move like an asteroid and actually behaves like a comet.

Therefore, some scientists believe that it should be classified as an entirely new type of celestial body called a rocky comet.

One of the most amazing features of Geminids is that they are multi-colored.

While up to 150 multicolored meteors can be seen per hour, most observers will be able to see between 40 to 50 per hour with the naked eye.

When burning in the atmosphere, the 3,200 python fragments can flash in a rainbow of different colors.

Edward Plumer, senior director of astronomy at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told MailOnline this was due to Geminid's unique origins.

“The colors can be caused by the mineral composition of the falling material and the Earth's atmosphere itself,” Blumer said.

“Just like a discharge lamp, different atoms will produce light of different colors.”

Traces of minerals such as sodium and calcium that we use to give fireworks their color can cause Geminis to burn with a green or red glow.

However, Mr. Blumer points out that “from naked-eye observations, it is not always easy to see significant color differences in low-light conditions.”

The Geminids are an annual meteor shower that can be seen from approximately December 4 to 20.

However, tonight at 7:27pm GMT, they will reach their absolute peak of activity.

The Geminids are thought to get more intense every year, so there's a good chance this year will be the most impressive display yet.

For the best views, find a dark place and avoid checking your phone so your eyes have time to adjust to the darkness

In good news for stargazers, the weather will be dry this evening with the arrival of Gemini's peak, although there may be cloud cover affecting parts of the north and southeast.

While it can peak at 150 meteors per hour, most observers will be able to see between 40 and 50 meteors per hour with the naked eye.

All meteors appear to emerge from the same point in the night sky, known as the radiant.

In the case of Gemini, this is the constellation Orion from which the meteor shower gets its name.

To see Gemini this evening, head outside after sunset and look east to where Gemini will rise at sunset.

“Try going to a dark place and let your eyes adjust to the darkness, then put your phone away,” Bloomer says.

“Just relax, and keep watching; you could go minutes without seeing anything, or see a small group in a short moment.

'Be patient. Although the showers will return next year, the actual look of each is unique each time.'

Fortunately, conditions for viewing Gemini will be good in most parts of the UK this evening.

With only 1% of the new moon's illumination, the sky will be dark enough to see even faint meteors clearly.

By 7pm, Met Office forecasts predict there will be some interruptions in cloud cover over Wales and across the Midlands.

While the south-east may experience heavy cloud cover, the weather will remain dry across most of the UK.