The annual shooting-star show known as the Geminids coincides this year with a new moon — meaning plenty of dark skies to highlight the streaking meteors.
The problem here is that it also coincides with another rare occurrence — rain, mountain snow and clouds that are predicted to roll in just as the display reaches its peak on Thursday night and Friday morning.
During that peak, observers in dark, cloudless places should be able to spot 60 to 100 meteors an hour when the constellation Gemini is high overhead at about 2 a.m. Tucson (MST) time.
The day before and after the peak can also yield pretty good viewing, so you might want to stake out a dark spot on Wednesday night, when, at least for now, the forecast is for a fairly clear sky.
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