Multi-coloured shooting stars to blaze in the sky in Geminid meteor shower

Watch: Geminid meteor shower caught in timelapse during its peak

Dozens of bright, multi-coloured shooting stars could be visible in the skies over Britain this week as an annual meteor shower takes place.

This year’s Geminids shower peaks on the 13 and 14 December, but meteors will be visible on nights either side, according to astronomers.

The meteors are unusual in that they’re multi-coloured – some yellow, green, red and blue – due to the presence of trace elements, according to Royal Observatory Greenwich.

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The Observatory writes: “The shower has been known to produce over 100 meteors per hour at its peak, although light pollution and other factors mean that, in reality, the actual number visible is far less.”

People hoping to see the Geminids this year should head for an area away from light pollution, according to Astronomy Now.

The magazine’s Mark Armstrong said: "When looking for meteors, rather than peering intently directly at the radiant, look some 30 or 40 degrees away, where the meteors will appear brighter.

"Orion and Taurus are profitable areas to the west, with Cancer and Leo to the east.

"If you are observing from a suburban site, try to keep major sources of local light pollution out of your direct view, as you’ll see more shooting stars if you can become dark adapted and stay that way throughout your meteor watch."

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Meteor showers occur when Earth ploughs through clouds of cometary dust.

The tiny particles, some no bigger than a grain of sand, burn up brightly as they enter the atmosphere.

The Geminids are unusual in that they are not shed by a classic icy comet but a body that shares characteristics of both comets and asteroids.

Known as 3200 Phaethon, the three-mile-wide object was discovered in 1983 by two British scientists examining Nasa satellite images; it was initially classified as an asteroid.

But it has an eccentric orbit that looks more like that of a comet than an asteroid and brings it well inside the orbit of Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, every 1.4 years.

Nasa describes it as a “rock comet”. Traditionally, asteroids are made of rock, and comets mostly of ice.

The Geminid meteor shower itself was first noted in the 1860s.

Over time it has become more intense, with up to 20 comets per hour reported in the 1920s, rising to 50 in the 1930s, 60 in the 1940s and 80 in the 1970s.

Travelling at some 22 miles per second, the meteors burn up about 24 miles above the Earth.

Another unusual feature of the Geminids is that they can shine in different colours. Mostly glowing white, they may also appear yellow, blue, green or red.

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