Geminid meteor shower is set to put on a performance tonight. Geminid meteor time best for viewing late at night and early in the morning. This weekend, the Geminid meteor shower will light up the skies over Alabama and surrounding states. You don't need a telescope.

Are you just looking for an excuse to have a party? Plan a Geminid meteor shower party. But make it an all-nighter, the Geminid Metor shower will peak between 9 p.m. Friday and the break of dawn on Saturday. Arizona got a preview on Tuesday. A loud one as a meteor exploded over the state. The meteor that shook windows was not part of the Geminids.Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said "This year, there will be a magic hour starting at about 4 a.m. up until dawn that there will be no moon and you'll be able to see the Geminids in their full glory,"  

It's going to be cold, so Skywatchers should bundle up and bring a flask for the annual Geminid meteor shower. You will be rewarded with meteors appearing at a rate of about 100 to 120 an hour. Space experts say the peak will be right after the moon sets and just before dawn.

Sky & Telescope says the Geminid meteor shower is the "richest reliable shower of the year."

In a statement, Robert Naeye, editor in chief of Sky & Telescope magazine said "We'll have interference from moonlight in the sky this year, but the brighter meteors will shine through anyway. You'll probably see quite a few."

The Geminid meteor shower was named for the stellar constellation Gemini. The Geminid meteors arrive in mid-December when the Earth passes through debris from a small asteroid called 3200 Phaethon.

NASA is hosting a web chat about the meteor shower from 11 p.m. EST until 3 a.m. EST (0800 GMT) you can watch here.Live stream is available at ustream.