(Photo courtesy of NPR/AP)

In this picture provided by Wally Pacholka of AstroPics.com, a Geminid fireball explodes over the Mojave Desert in the Jojave Desert, Calif. on Dec. 13, 2009.

The annual Geminid meteor shower will light up the skies this weekend. The shower gets its name because it originates near the Gemini Constellation. Stephen Pompea with the National Optical Astronomy Observatory said this shower is unique, because it originates from an asteroid and is predictable.

“It’s at that point in the year when the orbit of the tiny debris from this tiny asteroid crosses the earth’s orbit," said Pompea.

Pompea said the meteor spotted over southern Arizona Tuesday night is possibly related to the shower. Pompea said Friday after midnight is the best time to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower, and for the best view look away from the moon.