Spectacular Geminids meteor shower will be visible Tuesday night

If you have a clear view of the night sky Tuesday night, don't forget to look up!

Shooting stars are set to put on an impressive performance as one of the top astronomy events of this year.

Unlike some meteor showers that can only be viewed in the hours before sunrise, astronomers say the Geminids will be active all night long and visible until early Wednesday morning.

The annual event often boasts over 100 meteors per hour when viewed from dark locations.

But moonlight may wash out many of the dimmer meteors this year, so it's best to observe the meteor shower before the moon rises.

According to AccuWeather, meteors during the earlier evening hours could be "Earthgrazers," or long-lasting meteors that streak across a large area of the sky.

As the night transpires and the shower's radiant point, located near the Gemini constellation, rises higher in the sky, there will be fewer Earthgrazers and more typical meteors that are short, bright flickers in the heavens.

The Geminids could feature meteors of various colors, but the brightest ones tend to be green.