The Twins Bring Their Holiday Treats. Geminids Meteor Shower, December 13th - 14th

The radiant point is the green target in the image above. Find Jupiter first, then look straight up to see the bright stars of Pollux and Castor. These stars represent the heads of the Gemini twins. The shower's radiant point is right above Castor.

The annual Geminids meteor shower is a major meteor shower and is active from the 4th through 20th. For 2025, the shower peaks from December 13th into the early hours of the 14th and the last major meteor shower of the year.

The meteor shower radiates within the constellation Gemini (see the image above). Your window to glimpse meteors is any time the constellation Gemini is above the horizon,. On the night of the 13th, Gemini is up all night. Plus, this year Jupiter, the King of the Sky, will help guide your eyes, as it is the brightest, biggest point of light in the sky. Easy-peasy. Look for the constellation Gemini (the Twins) to rise over the east-northeastern horizon after 7:30pm local time. Your opportunity to see the most meteors is after Gemini has risen to its highest point in the sky around 2am.

Geminid Meteor Shower, Some Background and a Little Chemistry

The Geminids is a Class I meteor shower. A meteor shower class is a measure of how productive the meteor shower is and to be a class I the shower has to reliably display more than 10 meteors per hour.

The parent body responsible for the Geminids is asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Because it is an asteroid-not a comet- that created the Geminids’ meteors shower the stream the particles are larger, tougher, and rockier than typical comet dust. Even more interesting, 3200 Phaethon carries plenty of metal in its debris.

Remember that chemistry lesson about metals, heat, and color? Of course you do. As these particles burn up in our atmosphere 70–120 miles overhead due to friction, their metal content creates distinctive colors: Calcium and silicon create an orange color; iron, yellow; nickel, green; magnesium, blue. Can you spot a meteor’s color? There’s a challenge for you.

This year the estimated zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) is 100 - 120 meteors per hour. That’s a ton-o-meteors. But, now the truth: To see this rate of meteors, you need dark skies, Bortle Level 4 or lower, fully adapted to night vision, and the ability to stars down to a magnitude 6.7. That knocks most of us out of the contention for seeing this high number of meteors.

Astro Mark Pro Tip: Realistically, set your sights on 10 – 20 meteors per hour. That’s still a lot-o-meteors.

Why This Year's Geminids Are Extra Special

The 2025 Geminids are going to be exceptional because the Moon is 24 days old, a waning crescent. This means our solar system’s street light will rise late over the horizon allowing you to view far more fainter meteors that normally would be washed out by moonlight. As with most meteor showers, they are best viewed around midnight to 2am due to the Earth’s rotational angle into the meteor stream. But always remember meteors can appear anywhere in the sky at any time

Dress Appropriately For the Shower

Gather the family, bundle up, and get outside. Remember to dress in layers, wear thick socks and heavy sole shoes. Fill your thermos with something warm and bring a chair so you can relax and look up. Once your night vision develops, try not to look at nearby artificial lights. Even as your eyes adjust during your first 10 minutes, you might see some streakers, tracers, smokers, flares, sparkers, bolides, bursters, gliders, poppers, and train-makers. If you get cold, go back inside to warm up. Wait a bit, and then go back out. See the difference?

Wanna Play Some Reindeer Stargazing and Meteor Shower Games?

Between scouring the sky to spy a meteor zipping across the night, here’s some other group challenges you can enjoy.

Stargazing Challenges

(And yes, it’s okay to use your cell phone’s star chart app if you need a little help,)

● Who is the first to see the soft starry band of light called the Milky Way?

(Hint: it runs east to southwest.)

● Who can see the first satellite moving overhead?

● Who can find the first planet?

(Hint: You already know where to find Jupiter. Can you find the planet Saturn?)

● Who can find and point out the brightest blue-white star in the night sky?

(Hint: Sirius, the Dog Star., in the constellation Canis Major)

● Who can find and point out the brightest red star?

(Hint: Aldebaran is in the constellation Taurus.)

● Who can find and point out the brightest yellowish star?

(Hint: Capella is in the constellation Auriga.)

Meteor Shower Specific Challenges

● Who is the first to see an orange, yellow, green, or blue meteor?

● Who is the first to spot a meteor’s smoke trail?

● Who is the last person to see a meteor?

Bonus Challenge

● Can you find the Mini-Dipper, the Pleiades (M45), directly overhead?

(Hint: It looks like a tiny version of the Big Dipper, built from seven bright blue stars. The cluster spans about the size of your thumbnail at arm’s length.)

Happy meteor hunting to you. I guarantee it will bring you merriment and awe. My wish for you is that your heart fills with holiday joy when you discover your first meteor streaking across our night sky.

Or…was that Santa and his team taking a few practice runs before his big night?

Wishing One and All a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and an Exquisite New Year!