One of the most spectacular displays in the sky should be visible across parts of the country this evening.
The Geminids meteor shower is unique as it originates from an asteroid rather than a comet.
The best parts of the country to see it will be the east coast of the North Island, Nelson, Marlborough, and Canterbury.
Kiwis elsewhere may need a break in the clouds to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking light show.
However, any view of the shower may be compromised by another celestial object.
“There’s one tiny problem this year. Because the moon is really bright and nearly full – the fainter shooting stars that you would normally get to enjoy a lot, they’ll be washed out by the moonlight, so we only get to see the brighter ones,” astronomer Ian Griffin told 1News.
“So, instead of seeing maybe 20 to 30 meteors an hour, we might only see five to 10, but they will be quite bright so it’s certainly worth going out and looking up.”
The best time to see the meteor shower, conditions dependent, will be after midnight.
