Geminids
Also called: December meteors
Often the best shower of the year, with bright, colorful meteors that start in the evening and peak around mid-December.
- Type
- Meteor Showers
- Best season
- Winter
- Gear
- Naked eye
- When to look
- Peak around December 13–14; active from early to mid-December
- Typical rate
- Often 100 or more an hour at the peak under dark skies
- Source
- Asteroid 3200 Phaethon
- Radiant
- Near the star Castor, in Gemini
- Best for
- From late evening through the night
What you will see
- Many bright meteors, some white, yellow, green, or blue.
- A strong show from late evening through the night.
- Meteors in all parts of the sky.
How to watch
- Get away from city lights to a dark site with a wide view of the sky, and lie back in a reclining chair or on a pad.
- Let your eyes adapt to the dark for 20 to 30 minutes and keep white light and phone screens off.
- Look at the whole sky rather than staring at one spot, since meteors can appear anywhere.
- Dress very warmly: December nights can be bitterly cold.
- Start in the late evening and keep watching after midnight.
Constellations to know
Field notes
The Geminids come from an asteroid rather than a comet, which is unusual. They are among the most reliable showers, and many people consider them the best of the year.
Related guides
Dates and times repeat from year to year but shift slightly, and the Moon's phase and the planets' positions are different every year. Check a current source such as NASA, the American Meteor Society, or a stargazing app before you plan a night out, and check the weather forecast for clear skies.