A galactic kind of fireworks—the Geminids meteor shower – will light up the sky Monday night, the state-run Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Sunday.

PAGASA said the annual Geminids meteor shower will reach its peak on the nights of December 14 and 15, when it will produce an average of 40 meteors per hour.

“Under a dark and cloudless sky perjust after midnight of its peak activity, meteors or falling stars can be seen at an average rate of 40 meteors per hour.

“The shower will appear to radiate from the constellation of Gemini, the Twins, which will be located in the eastern horizon,” PAGASA said in its astronomical diary for this month.

PAGASA weather forecaster Arnel Gonzales said residents of Luzon have a greater chance of witnessing the meteor shower because clouds are expected to obstruct the skies in the Visayas and Mindanao during the event.

According to Wikipedia, “the Geminids meteor shower is caused by an object named 3200 Phaethon, which is thought to be an extinct comet.”

“The meteors in this shower appear to come from a radiant in the constellation Gemini, hence the shower's name. However, they can appear almost anywhere in the night sky, and often appear yellowish in hue,” Wikipedia said.

“The meteors travel at medium speed in relation to other showers, at about 22 miles per second, making them fairly easy to spot,” the online encyclopedia added.