Geminid Meteor Shower Peaks December 13-14, 2025

The annual Geminid meteor shower, one of the most reliable and spectacular celestial displays of the year, peaks this weekend, offering skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere prime viewing opportunities under favorable dark skies. The shower, which appears to radiate from the constellation Gemini, will reach its height late Saturday night, December 13, into the predawn hours of Sunday, December 14, 2025, with activity visible from December 4 through December 20.

Under ideal conditions, observers could witness up to 120 meteors per hour, according to NASA and the American Meteor Society, though rates may vary based on location and weather. The Geminids are known for their bright, often yellowish streaks that move at a relatively slow speed of about 35 kilometers per second, creating visible trails across the sky. Unlike most meteor showers derived from comet debris, the Geminids originate from particles shed by the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, a 5.8-kilometer-wide body that orbits the sun every 1.4 years and passes as close as 21 million kilometers to it at perihelion.

This year's peak coincides with a waning crescent moon that rises only after 2 a.m. in many locations, minimizing...