Overview
- Authorities confirm the meteor shower is active December 7–17, with the maximum expected in the early hours of December 14.
- Experts advise watching in the second half of the night when Gemini is high, as the Moon rises around 2:30 a.m. and causes minimal glare.
- Under dark skies observers can typically see about 50 meteors per hour, though past years have occasionally reached 150–200 per hour.
- The stream’s particles come from asteroid 3200 Phaethon, and the meteors are relatively slow for a major shower at about 35 km/s.
- In Germany, recommended practice is to avoid urban light by heading 50–100 km from major cities, with Bavaria’s Dark Sky sites highlighted for good views.