As this year draws to a close and the crisp, long nights of winter settle in, this holiday period will offer some of the most spectacular viewing opportunities. This time of the year is particularly known for its meteor showers, giving us a chance to witness the streaks of cosmic dust lighting up the mostly dark, clear skies.
Geminids Peak – 13th of December
The Geminids meteor shower will be at its peak during the night of the 13th of December. This meteor shower is considered to be one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers, but it did not start that way. The Geminids first started appearing in the mid-1800s and wasn’t so impressive as it only had 10–20 meteors per hour. It is now amazing, as up to 120 meteors can be seen per hour in good conditions. You will definitely be able to see these with the naked eye, as the Moon will be less than half full.
These meteors will appear bright and fast and are usually yellow and will seem to emerge from the Gemini constellation.
Ursid Meteor Shower – 22nd of December
Following the Geminids, the fainter Ursid meteor shower will reach its maximum activity on this night. The Ursids are caused by debris left by Comet 8P or also known as the Tuttle Comet that passes through our solar system on its journey around the Sun every 13.5 years. You will also be able to see this shower with the naked eye and the moon will be a small crescent, meaning that the sky will remain very dark and perfect for stargazing. These meteors will radiate from the Ursa Minor constellation high in the northern sky. The Ursids are very low activity compared to the Geminids shower, as they usually only have about 5 -10 meteors per hours. Their faintness will however be balanced by the truly dark sky, making any meteor seen a special holiday treat.
Quadrantid Meteor Shower – 3rd of January
This will be the first meteor shower of 2026. The Quadrantids are considered to be one of the best annual meteor showers and is special as its parent body is an asteroid, and while most showers peak for multiple days but this one only peaks for a few hours and particularly at 9pm. These meteors will appear as bright fireball meteors and will have larger explosions of light and colour which will persist longer than an average meteor streak. This meteor is best viewed during the night and predawn hours. You will be able to see this with the naked eye, however there is a full moon on that same night, so viewing could be challenging.
Happy Holidays !