Overview
- The best viewing is expected from about 10 p.m. local time until the crescent moon rises around 2:00–2:30 a.m., leaving multiple dark hours at the peak.
- Under dark rural skies forecasts call for roughly 120–150 meteors per hour, with brighter suburban locations likely seeing closer to 60 or fewer.
- The radiant sits in Gemini near Castor and Pollux, but streaks can appear anywhere in the sky, with the Northern Hemisphere favored for higher rates.
- For optimal results, seek a dark site, recline and scan wide swaths of sky, avoid bright screens, allow 20–30 minutes for dark adaptation, and check local weather.
- Public star parties are scheduled nationwide on Saturday, and if clouds intervene, AMS notes Dec. 12–13 can deliver about three‑quarters of peak; the weaker Ursids follow around Dec. 21–22.