How to watch the Geminids meteor shower in Colorado, where over 100 meteors per hour could be visible

The Geminids, which NASA considers "one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers," are expected to peak Saturday night, and viewers can expect 120 visible meteors per hour, if conditions are good and you're watching from a dark place.

Those meteors will fly through the sky at around 21 miles per second, or 75,600 miles per hour.

"If you watch only one meteor shower all year, make it the Geminids. This shower is predicted to be the strongest of 2025, producing plenty of bright, colorful meteors," the Denver Astronomical Society says. "With the Moon conveniently out of the way during peak nights, conditions will be near perfect."

So what's the best way to watch them? Here's when and where you should expect to see the shower at its peak:

When will the shower peak?

The shower started earlier this month and is expected to continue through Dec. 24, but the night of Dec. 13 is when activity will be at its height.

If you have kids with earlier bedtimes who like stargazing, you're in luck, as Saturday's peak activity will come earlier in the night than some other astronomical events: The shower should start around 8 p.m. The peak, however, will likely be a couple of hours later and continue through the night.

You should plan to get out a bit earlier, however, as your eyes will need about 30 minutes to fully adjust to the dark.

The shower is expected to continue through dawn, so you should have plenty of time once it's dark.

Where's the best place to see them?

The short answer is to get as far away from cities and the Denver metro area and street lights as you can. Light pollution will make the meteors harder to see, while darkness will be your friend.

One of the best places for most people in the Denver metro area would be out on the Eastern Plains due to proximity and the lack of trees obstructing views in many places.

Those farther away from Denver should also try to go as far as they can from cities, towns, and anything that might block their view, like buildings and trees.

Once you get to the area you want to view them from, lie down, with your toes pointed at the sky, with your feet facing south and your head facing north.

What should I bring?

Since you should be outdoors to view the shower, expect cold temperatures and wear appropriate clothes.

And since you'll want to lie down to face the sky, it'd also be a good idea to bring sleeping pads, blankets, sleeping bags, or other things to lie on.

Saturday night's forecast calls for temperatures in the 20s on the Eastern Plains, low 30s to high 20s in Northern and southern Colorado, and low 20s in the high country and Western Slope.

Experts recommend leaving the telescopes and binoculars at home, as they can limit your field of view too much, and you want to see as much of the night sky as possible.