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Meteor shower · December

Geminids 2026

Often the year’s best shower: plentiful, bright and colorful meteors on December nights, from early evening on.

Peak nightDec 13–14
Rate at peakup to ~115/hour
Moon at peak21% · sets 20:02
Best time from London20:15–05:45
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The Geminids from London

Times for London, United Kingdom

On the night of Dec 13–14, the radiant climbs to 71° in the south while it’s dark in London. The Moon is only 21% lit, so moonlight won’t be a problem. The best window here is about 20:15–05:45.

  1. 17:55Astronomical darkness begins
  2. 20:02Moon sets
  3. 20:15Best window begins
  4. 02:05Radiant highest, 71° up
  5. 05:54Dawn twilight begins
0°30°60°90°18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00RadiantMoon (21%)
Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Traced backward, their trails meet at the radiant; the higher it is, the more you’ll see.

How to watch

Gemini rises early, so the Geminids are active from mid-evening, making them the best shower for anyone who can’t stay up late. Rates are highest when the radiant is high, around 2 a.m. local time. They’re best from the Northern Hemisphere but visible from much of the Southern Hemisphere too.

The radiant is near the bright star Castor in Gemini, which rises in the early evening and is highest around 2 a.m.. Up to about 115 meteors an hour at the peak under ideal skies (the zenithal hourly rate). The shower is active from about 7 Dec to 18 Dec.

Get as far from streetlights as you can and give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the dark. Every glance at a bright phone screen resets that, so keep it away or use a red night mode.

Lie back on a reclining chair or a mat and take in as much sky as possible, looking about halfway up rather than straight at the radiant. Meteors can appear anywhere; the ones far from the radiant have longer trails.

You need no equipment. Binoculars and telescopes show only a tiny patch of sky, so they make you miss meteors. Dress warmly, even in summer, and plan to watch for at least an hour: meteors come in clumps and lulls.

Where do they come from?

Unusually, the Geminids come from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon, rather than a comet. Phaethon passes very close to the Sun, and heating may crack and shed material from its surface.

Medium-speed, bright meteors, many with a yellowish or greenish tint.

Active
7–18 Dec
Peak
around 14 Dec 2026
Rate at peak (ZHR)
~115 per hour
Speed
34 km/s
Parent body
asteroid 3200 Phaethon
Radiant
Gemini

Calendar

Every major shower’s peak in 2026. Dates are approximate (±1 day) and given in UTC.

Questions

Why are Geminids brighter than many meteors?
Their particles are denser than typical comet dust and enter at moderate speed, so they tend to last longer and look brighter.
Can I watch in the evening?
Yes. Gemini is up from mid-evening, so you can see Geminids before midnight, although rates improve as the radiant climbs.
How many meteors will I really see?
Fewer than the peak rate. The zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) assumes a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. With some light pollution, moonlight or a low radiant, a fraction of that is typical.
What is the radiant?
The point in the sky the meteors seem to come from. It’s a perspective effect: the dust travels in parallel paths, like snowflakes seen from a moving car. The higher the radiant, the more meteors you see.
Do I need a telescope or binoculars?
No. Your eyes are best because meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Optical aid narrows your view far too much.
Know the best hour for your sky.SkyMate can remind you when the radiant is up and the sky is dark where you are.Join the waitlist

Sources: Global Meteor Network (activity and peak solar longitudes, CC BY 4.0); Moorhead, Clements & Vida 2022 (radiants and speeds, CC BY 4.0); NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (typical peak rates; no NASA endorsement implied). Peak dates and positions computed by SkyMate. Data & Licences

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