2023 Geminids deep in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana
Quick Facts
- Zenithal Hourly Rate: 150
- Peak Date: December 13
- Source: Asteroid 3200 Phaethon
- Speed: 21 miles (34km) per second
- 2025 Rating: ★★★☆☆
The Geminid meteor shower is consistently the best one of the year. With a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of up to 150 meteors on one of the longest nights of the year, conditions don’t get much better for seeing shooting stars. Because it’s in the middle of December, it is not as widely viewed as the August Perseids. Cold temperatures and cloudy weather makes it a challenge to observe. But if you have clear skies in the forecast, it’s definitely worth making the effort to see.
The only Geminid I managed to capture in 2020 due to bad weather
Source
Geminid meteors originate from a 5km wide asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. This makes it unique because most other meteor showers are known to come from comets instead. 3200 Phaethon’s orbit brings it closer to the sun than any other named asteroid. As it swings around the sun, it sheds tiny pieces of dust and debris. When Earth encounters this debris, the pieces enter our upper atmosphere where they will burn up. Most meteoroids as they’re known are surprisingly only the size of a grain of sand. But they leave behind bright trails of light because of their extreme velocity. Unlike other meteor showers which have been observed for many hundreds of years, Geminids were first seen in 1862. Since then, the numbers have only increased. It wasn’t until 1983 that the source of the meteor shower was finally discovered.
A Geminid meteor above the Montana Rockies in 2017
Numbers and Speed
At the high end, Geminids may produce up to 150 meteors per hour. But 125 is a more typical rate. They fall at a moderate speed of about 21 miles per second. This is slow enough that they don’t usually leave a glowing persistent train. But Geminid meteors are known to be very bright and colorful. This meteor shower has a broad peak starting as early as December 2nd and lasting as late as December 21st. If you look at a ZHR chart, the rates are higher before the peak than after the peak when they quickly fall off. Meteor rates will be less if viewed from the southern hemisphere, but still worth watching.
The flat prairie of Eastern Montana had a great show in 2018
Radiant
Like all meteor showers, the Geminids are named for the radiant that they appear to originate from. This radiant is found in the constellation Gemini, near the star Castor. Almost as soon as the sky gets dark, Gemini will rise in the northeast. Unlike other meteor showers, Geminids often start flying well before midnight. The constellation stays up all night long. But it reaches the highest point around 2AM which is when meteor rates will be the highest. It is not necessary to know exactly where the radiant is because meteors may appear anywhere in the sky. In fact meteors closer to the radiant will have shorter trails due to foreshortening. Unlike sporadic meteors, the trails can always be traced back towards Gemini.
Source: Stellarium
This Year
2025 will be a decent year for Geminids. On the peak morning of December 13th, the 35% waning crescent moon will rise around 1:30AM. This is not bright enough to make a huge difference, though some of the dim meteors may go unseen. The evening hours will be completely dark. In addition the peak will occur on a weekend (Saturday morning), which may make it easier to get out.
The moon was 52% full in 2014 at Everglades National Park
Viewing Tips
Long, cold, and frosty nights can be very tough on cameras
- Get to the darkest skies you can. Light pollution will drown out all but the brightest of meteors. Use the light pollution map or dark site list to find a viewing spot near you.
- Let your eyes adjust to the darkness. The longer you look the more stars and fainter meteors you’ll see. Any bright lights or phone screens will hinder your view. A dim red flashlight or headlamp is best for getting around without bumping into anything.
- Turn off your headlights as soon as you park your car. Be considerate if other stargazers are around so you don’t ruin their view.
- A beach chair or camping chair that reclines will be the most comfortable. Otherwise laying flat on the ground on a blanket is fine. You want to take in as much sky as possible so you don’t miss anything.
- Bring warm clothes. You start to feel cold fast when you’re not moving.
- Hot chocolate or coffee is helpful for staying awake.
- Be patient. Meteors are often spaced unevenly. Sometimes 10 minutes may pass without seeing any and then suddenly there are 10 in a single minute.
- Head over to How to Photograph a Meteor Shower for more photography tips
2013 Geminids seen from a bluff in Missouri overlooking the Mississippi River
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Awesome post Kevin. Very informative with outstanding pictures. Keep up the good work.