Overview
- Peak activity is forecast for the night of December 13–14, with good viewing continuing into the night of December 14–15.
- The Moon will be about 26% illuminated at peak, and astronomers advise heading to dark, cloudless skies away from city lights.
- Moscow Planetarium expects up to about 120 meteors per hour, while Roscosmos says as many as 150 could be visible under favorable conditions.
- The radiant lies near the star Castor in Gemini and climbs highest around 2:00 a.m. local time, offering the best rates after midnight in both hemispheres.
- The shower originates from 3200 Phaethon, and observers can expect mostly white, bright meteors moving at roughly 35 km/s.