The largest meteor shower of the year peaks this week

• The shower began on Nov. 19 and should still be visible for about 10 days after its peak this week.

Zoom in: As the name of the shower implies, the meteors should appear to be originating from the constellation Gemini, though the constellation is not the actual source.

• Gemini can be found by locating Orion's Belt and following an imaginary line from Orion's right foot to beyond Orion's left shoulder.
• The line should point to two bright, close-together stars. These are Castor and Pollux, the "twin stars" that serve as the heads of Gemini's stick figure-like pattern.
• An imaginary line from the handle of the Big Dipper through its bowl should also point to Gemini.

State of play: While most meteor showers are from the Earth passing through the debris trail of a comet, the Geminids originate from an untraditional asteroid that behaves a lot like a comet: 3200 Phaethon.

• Asteroids, because they are primarily rock, typically don't form a tail when they near the sun. But NASA has found evidence that Phaethon does, likely in the form of sodium gas.
• Because of this, astronomers have proposed a new classification for objects like Phaethon, suggesting that they be defined as "dead comets" or "rock comets."