Meteors To Shower Night In Light

A METEOR shower is expected to turn the skies above Australia into a celestial light show overnight.

The shower, known as the Geminids because it appears to come from the constellation of Gemini, happens in December every year and can be seen from anywhere in the world.

Sydney Observatory curator of astronomy Nick Lomb said conditions were good for Australians to view the shower this year, with no moon expected to be visible.

He said the show was expected to start at about 11pm (AEDT) tonight, with the peak coming just before dawn at about 3.45am (AEDT).

"It will look like streaks of light, like whitish flares,'' Dr Lomb said.

"It could be quite spectacular.''

A meteor shower is caused when the earth runs into a stream of dust and ice left by a comet orbiting the sun.

The Geminids shower is caused by the earth running into a stream of material from a chunk of rock known as 3200 Phaeton, which astronomers believe could be the remnants of a dead comet.