Some hints from Joe Rao in Astronomy.com
The Geminid meteor shower, which will likely be the very best meteor display of the year, is just around the corner, predicted peak late on Sunday night (Dec. 13).
Studies of past displays show that this shower has a reputation for being rich both in slow, bright, graceful meteors and fireballs as well as in faint meteors, with relatively fewer objects of medium brightness.
But after maximum comes a sharp drop-off; one-quarter peak strength the very next night. Late Geminids, however, tend to be especially bright. Renegade forerunners might be seen for a week or more before maximum, but the shower will be all but gone by the Dec. 16.
But for some 6 to 10 hours around the maximum rate, the meteors will remain very plentiful. Indeed, under normal conditions on the night of maximum activity, with ideal dark-sky conditions, at least 60 to 120 Geminid meteors can be expected to burst across the sky every hour on the average.
However, here is a very important disclaimer: the actual number of meteors that you'll see hinges on two things.
• The light pollution at your observing site.
• The amount of the sky that you can see.
Generally speaking, depending on your location, Gemini begins to come up above the east-northeast horizon right as evening twilight is ending. So, you might catch sight of a few early Geminids as soon as the sky gets dark.
I recommend keeping your eyes moving around: rather than staring at any one place, look all over.
