A meteor shower can be seen on the skies above Utah this week, and the red-rock areas of the state's south is the best place to spot it.

Boulder

The Geminid meteor shower is expected to provide a remarkable display over Utah, particularly in areas with minimal light pollution such as southern Utah's rural regions. The shower will peak between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m., and astronomers suggest that viewers could see up to 120 meteors per hour under dark skies.

Astronomers note that the Geminids are unique, originating from asteroid 3200 Phaethon rather than a comet. For the best experience, experts recommend heading outside by 10 p.m., looking toward the east-northeast sky, and choosing locations away from city lights.

Look up this weekend to see an epic galactic skyshow over Utah

It's a beautiful day in southern Utah, and it's expected to be a spectacular night, tomorrow night, in the skies above. I'm Chris Reed in Hurricane. The 10 Mesonier Shower, starting about 10 o'clock Saturday night, is expected to put on a heck of a show. And a prime viewing site is not too far from here. There's a sense of awe that comes from seeing it with your own eye. Astronomy enthusiast Russ Cashin is talking about the dark skies that are an advantage of living in southern Utah. The area famous for its red rock landscapes also has some areas that have skies so dark you can see the Milky Way in incredible detail. But you can go 20 minutes south, 20 minutes east, or 20 minutes north. Yeah, you can actually see the Milky Way. But that still means getting out of the more populated and bright skies over Cedar City and St. George. That said, a short drive out of town are great places to catch the Gemini meteor shower that peaks from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday night. In a dark sky, you can expect to see about 100 to 120 meteors per hour. University of Colorado astronomer John Keller says most meteor showers happen when Earth passes through dusty trails left by comets. But the Geminids are sparked by rocks coming off an asteroid called 3200 Fathion. The rocks that create this spectacular show aren't as big as the one right here, or even the one I'm holding. No, they're about this big. The rest of the state isn't left in the cold. The website's dark sky map shows places outside Salt Lake City and especially central rural areas that bring out the wonders of the galaxy. For the best view, astronomers say bundle up and head outside by about 10 p.m. And just look toward the east-northeast sky. That's where most of the action will be. Russ specializes in getting shots of the far more distant sites, like the Pleiades and the Andromeda Galaxy. He has some advice if you plan to watch the skies. So I would lay in the backyard with a sleeping bag and just look straight up and just lay there all night watching the showers overhead. From Hurricane Chris Reed, FOX 13 News, Utah.

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