It’s the final meteor shower of 2023 and some believe - with the right weather conditions – it could be among the very best this year.

The Geminid meteor shower could set-off a spectacular light show in the night sky with a unique multi-coloured display possible thanks to the presence of small traces of metal like those used to create fireworks.

The Royal Observatory Greenwich says the Geminids can ‘generally be relied on to put on a good display’ with mainly white meteors set to be joined by shooting stars in red, blue and green.

Meteors are pieces of debris which enter the planet’s atmosphere at high speed burning-up and causing the streaks of light we call meteors.

This event is caused by an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon and as it passes closer to Earth debris from it scatters into space which then appears as bright flashes as it burns up in the atmosphere.

The shower has been known to produce over 150 meteors per hour at its peak, although light pollution and other factors can sometimes reduce the number truly visible.

According to NASA's stargazing blog, the Geminids can make for the “strongest meteor shower of the year” alongside being one that can be seen without the need for binoculars and telescopes if you don't own them.

The meteor shower actually began on December 4 and is expected to last until December 20. .

However the streaks of light are expected to peak on Thursday night – December 14 - with the optimum time to catch the best display likely to be in the early hours of Friday morning.

This year, the peak also happens when the Moon is a waxing crescent, which will help create favourable conditions for a clear and visible display overhead.

Finding an area away from significant light pollution and choosing a clear unobstructed view of the sky will also give you the best possible chance of seeing the maximum number of meteors.

This might also mean standing in the open air for some time so be sure to leave home with extra layers or even sleeping bags if you think you're going to hunker down under the night sky for a while.