AUSTIN, Texas -- Many wishes come true during the holiday season that don't involve Santa. 

This year's Geminid Meteor Shower peaks on Dec. 14 with what astronomers say will look like hundreds of "shooting stars" per hour.

While you can probably see some meteors all week long, the best viewing opportunity will likely be from midnight to 4 a.m. Thursday morning.

Lucky for Texas, the weather forecast looks mostly clear during the week, and there won't be much moonlight in the way.

Astronomers consider the Geminids to be the most consistently reliable meteor shower of the year, with a recent average of about 120 to 160 meteors per hour.

Some years turn out better than others. In 2014, skywatchers were treated to as many as 253 meteors per hour at the peak.

The annual shower takes place every December when, on Earth's orbit around the sun, the planet goes through a debris cloud from asteroid 3200 Phaethon.

The asteroid "leftovers" -- usually the size of a grain of sand -- travel around 79,000 miles per hour into our atmosphere where they burn up 24 miles or more above the ground level, according to NASA.

For best viewing, get away from city lights, let your eyes adjust, then simply look up to the east. A comfy lawn chair, big blanket, and warm beverage might be all you need as these meteors travel too fast to be able to easily see through binoculars or a telescope.

The meteor shower gets its name because the meteors, from our perspective here on Earth, appear to come from the constellation Gemini. 

The Geminids were discovered in 1862 and are one of the few annual showers that originated from an asteroid as opposed to a comet.

In the above video, Chief Meteorologist Burton Fitzsimmons talks more about viewing tips.

For more information:
NASA
Earth & Sky