Ursid meteor shower 2018: How and when to watch the last shooting stars of the year

This story has been updated.

The Christmas holidays just got a bit brighter. Don't miss the Ursid meteor shower, expected to peak Friday and Saturday, for your final ticket to catch 2018's shooting stars.

Here’s what you should know about the Ursid meteor shower:

Why is it called the Ursid meteor shower?

The meteors radiate (or originate) from a region close to the constellation Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper.

The Ursids are active annually between Dec. 17 and Dec. 24.

According to Space.com, the shower was first recorded in England in 1900.

What causes the meteor shower?

The meteor’s particles come from Comet 8P/Tuttle, which circles the sun every 14 years.

The Ursids occur as the comet passes Earth and leaves behind “a trail of comet crumbs” or space debris.

What’s the difference between a meteoroid, meteor and, meteorite anyway?

Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, told Space.com that a meteoroid is essentially space debris. For example, the crumbs from Halley's Comet are meteoroids.

Once the meteoroids enter Earth’s atmosphere, they become meteors (or shooting stars).

Though most meteors disintegrate before hitting the ground, meteors that do strike the surface of the planet are called meteorites, Cooke said.

Who can see the Ursid meteor shower?

The Ursid meteor shower is visible from Earth’s northern hemisphere. It’s best to be somewhere far from city lights.

When is the best time to watch the meteor shower?

The 2018 Ursids will peak after midnight on Friday, Dec. 21 into the early, dark morning hours of Dec. 22.

How many meteors will I see?

According to NASA, the Ursids are a "low-key" meteor shower that normally produces 5-10 shootings stars every hour.

"This year, an outburst to double normal is due, but the meteors will pale next to the sky's full moon," Space.com experts reported. Cooke gave this year's shower "the cursed Ursids."

In the past, scientists have seen some strong Ursid outbursts. The strongest Ursid outburst on record happened in 1945, when European observers saw 120 meteors per hour, according to NASA.