The largest meteor shower of 2023 peaks this week. Here's how to check it out in Pueblo

Lights from the Geminid meteor shower reached peak brightness in the earliest hours of Thursday morning, but the show is expected to continue until Dec. 24.

Stargazers may see anywhere from 50 to 120 meteor trails flashing through the night sky at maximum speeds of 79,000 miles per hour, according to NASA. Dazzling displays of orange, red and green lights from the Geminids are part of what's considered to be the largest and most reliable meteor shower of the year.

Doug Villers of the Southern Colorado Astronomical Society told the Chieftain that the best time to see the Geminids is after midnight. Lights are expected to be the biggest and brightest from Dec. 13-15, but will still be seen at reduced rates until Christmas Eve.

"If (viewers) look to the northeast, the meteors appear to be coming from the constellation Gemini," Villers said. "That's why their called the Geminids."

What causes the Geminids?

The light show from the Geminids is caused by an asteroid — 3200 Phaethon. Each year, Earth passes through debris fields from 3200 Phaethon. Bits of asteroid burn up once they reach Earth's atmosphere to create colorful meteor showers.

"If you are really lucky when you are viewing, these things will explode before they hit the ground — those are called bolides," Villers said. "Generally they're green because they are moving so fast they heat up and explode."

Local stargazers should be mindful of weather

Cloudy skies can "dramatically impact" viewers' ability to see the Geminid meteor showers, as colorful meteor trails are falling from a much higher level than the clouds.

Unfortunately for Puebloans, cloudy skies are expected on Dec. 14 — the "peak" of Geminid activity. However, skies will begin to clear up by Friday, according to Cameron Simcoe, meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

Other tips for best viewing of the Geminids include finding an area far from city and street lights, according to NASA. Stargazers also are advised to go outside and lie on their back with feet facing south, be patient and dress for winter temperatures.

Being prepared for winter temperatures is especially important for Puebloans, according to an online seven-day forecast from the National Weather Service in Pueblo.

Puebloans may be wise to eschew stargazing the night of Dec. 13 and early morning of Dec. 14, as a winter weather advisory will be in effect until Dec. 14 at 11 a.m. The following night will be mostly cloudy, but will gradually clear up overnight and have a low of 20 degrees.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights will have clear skies and low temperatures ranging from Friday night's low of 17 degrees to Saturday night's low of 23. Monday night will be partly cloudy with a low of 25, according to the NWS.

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Pueblo Chieftain reporter James Bartolo can be reached at JBartolo@gannett.com. Support local news, subscribe to The Pueblo Chieftain at subscribe.chieftain.com.

This article originally appeared on The Pueblo Chieftain: How to see the Geminids, the biggest meteor shower of 2023, in Pueblo