Overview
- The annual Geminids reach maximum on the night of Saturday into Sunday, Dec. 13–14, when Earth passes closest to the stream’s core.
- A waning crescent moon rises around 2–2:30 a.m. local time, leaving earlier nighttime hours darker for easier naked-eye viewing.
- Expected rates vary by conditions, with the American Meteor Society projecting up to about 60 meteors per hour from dark rural sites and Live Science reporting forecasts as high as 150 per hour during the peak.
- Observers are advised to watch after 10 p.m. with the highest activity near 2 a.m., choose a dark location, recline for comfort, and avoid direct moonlight as meteors can appear across the sky.
- The radiant sits near the star Castor in Gemini with bright Jupiter nearby for orientation, and public star parties are scheduled across the U.S. on Dec. 13.