The Geminid meteors will this year peak at 05:10 GMT on Monday morning, guaranteeing that for 90 per cent of Reg readers, the hour will be marked by cloud, driving rain and the annual sense of despair which follows the vain hope that we might for once cop an eyeful of a decent lightshow.

In the unlikely event that the skies are clear, observers have a good chance of catching a few shooting stars radiating from Gemini, given that the Moon will be a slender waning crescent.

The source of the Geminids long remained a mystery until it was discovered they're the dusty trail of an extinct comet identified as asteroid Phaethon. NASA has more on the Geminids and Phaeton here. ®

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