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Meteor shower · December

Ursids 2026

A small shower just before Christmas, with its radiant near the Little Dipper, for northern observers only.

Peak nightDec 21–22
Rate at peakup to ~8/hour
Moon at peak95% lit
Best time from London18:00–05:45
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The Ursids from London

Times for London, United Kingdom

On the night of Dec 21–22, the radiant climbs to 61° in the north while it’s dark in London. A 95%-lit Moon is up through the best hours, and its light will hide the fainter meteors. The best window here is about 18:00–05:45.

  1. 17:57Astronomical darkness begins
  2. 18:00Best window begins (moonlit)
  3. 05:59Dawn twilight begins
0°30°60°90°18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00RadiantMoon (95%)
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

The radiant is circumpolar from most of the Northern Hemisphere, so you can look all night; it climbs highest before dawn. Expect a handful an hour, though the Ursids have produced occasional outbursts. They are effectively invisible from the Southern Hemisphere.

The radiant is near the star Kochab in the bowl of the Little Dipper, which never sets for most northern observers. Up to about 8 meteors an hour at the peak under ideal skies (the zenithal hourly rate). The shower is active from about 20 Dec to 23 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?

The Ursids come from Comet 8P/Tuttle, which orbits the Sun every 13.6 years.

Slow to medium-speed meteors, usually at low rates.

Active
20–23 Dec
Peak
around 22 Dec 2026
Rate at peak (ZHR)
~8 per hour
Speed
33 km/s
Parent body
Comet 8P/Tuttle
Radiant
Ursa Minor

Calendar

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

Questions

Are the Ursids worth watching?
They’re a quiet shower, but the radiant is up all night in the north and the long December nights help.
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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