TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Geminid meteor shower has surged back into view, setting the stage for one of December’s most luminous night-sky events. Stretching from Dec. 4 to 20, the spectacle reaches its height on the night of Dec. 13-14, when Earth cuts through the dusty wake of the peculiar asteroid 3200 Phaethon.
Under clear, moonless skies, this year’s Geminids are poised to deliver a show stargazers won’t want to miss.
When does the Geminid meteor shower start?
According to many experts from Live Science, Space.com, and various sources, the Geminid meteor shower is officially returning on Dec. 4, launching more than two weeks of steady activity in the night sky.
Its climactic moment arrives overnight on Dec. 13-14, when up to 150 meteors per hour may streak overhead under a mostly moonless sky. Alongside the spectacle, a slim waning crescent moon will rise around 02:30 AM, just as the shower’s radiant near Castor and Pollux in Gemini reaches its highest point.
NASA offers a more modest forecast of 40 to 50 meteors per hour, but even that would make for a striking show. The meteors will appear to fan out from the constellation Gemini, glowing above the eastern horizon a few hours after sunset.
What makes the Geminid meteor shower special?
Unlike most meteor displays, the Geminids originate not from a comet but from the rocky asteroid 3200 Phaethon, whose dense debris produces slow, vivid, and richly colored streaks across the sky.
Their hues, often tinted by elements such as sodium and calcium, make them one of the most distinctive showers of the year.
Arriving earlier in the night than most major showers, the Geminids have earned a reputation for consistency and sheer luminosity. Under pristine skies, stargazers can catch more than 120 meteors per hour at peak. Even the nights surrounding the climax offer easily visible meteors across much of the Northern Hemisphere.
Following their peak on Dec 13-14, the Geminids will fade swiftly, but continues through Dec. 17, coinciding with the start of the modest Ursids.
For the clearest views, observers should avoid phone screens, or switch to red light, to preserve night vision. Optimal viewing demands distance from city lights and at least 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Meteors can blaze from any direction, making the naked eye the ideal viewing tool. Those heading off-grid should dress warmly, bring a red light, and share your location for safety.
If you’re eager to catch every highlight lighting up the final weeks of 2025, be sure to read December’s astronomy phenomena for the full guide.
Read: Happening in the Sky This Month: Planetary Conjunction, Solstice, and 120 Meteors Per Hour Rainout
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