Geminid meteor shower 2025 tonight: location and viewing times

The dazzling Geminid meteor shower for 2025 begins on the night of Thursday, December 4, bringing an expected display of bright, colorful shooting stars across the December sky, alongside tonight's full moon. Here's everything you need to know to catch the spectacle.

Regarded as one of the most impressive meteor showers annually, the Geminids have been lighting up the night sky for nearly 200 years. According to Space, this year's show promises to be among the most spectacular meteor events of 2025, with meteors that are bright and fast-moving.

The full moon tonight, called December's "cold moon," will rise as a large, bright supermoon during the long nights of December. This celestial pairing will set the stage for the Geminid meteor shower, leading up to the winter solstice later this month.

Active Period of the Geminids

The Geminid meteor shower is active for almost two weeks, starting December 4 and reaching its peak on the night of December 13-14. During this period, meteors can be seen radiating from the constellation Gemini, near the star Castor. After the Geminids conclude on December 17, the Ursid meteor shower will begin.

Full Moon Details

The December full moon will reach its peak illumination at 6:14 p.m. ET on December 4. As it rises low on the horizon, it will appear larger and brighter than usual. This supermoon is the third and final consecutive supermoon of 2025, coming closer to Earth than typical full moons, with its nearest point at 221,965 miles.

Understanding Meteor Showers

Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through debris trails left by comets or asteroids. These meteoroids enter the atmosphere at high speed, burning up and creating bright streaks of light across the sky, often called "shooting stars." Meteors appear to originate from a single point, known as the radiant, and vary in size from tiny particles to larger boulders.

The ideal time to observe a meteor shower is around midnight. For the best experience, find a dark location and allow your eyes to adjust for about 30 minutes.

Northern Taurid Meteor Shower

The Northern Taurids, active from October 20 to December 10, peaked on November 11-12. Observers could see up to 15 yellowish-orange meteors per hour radiating from Taurus, low in the eastern sky after sunset and nearly overhead by 1:30 a.m.

Watching the Geminids

The Geminids will be visible from December 4 to 17, peaking on December 13-14. Known for their bright and colorful meteors, the Geminids travel at medium-slow speeds and can be seen from any angle in the Northern Hemisphere. Under ideal conditions, up to 120 meteors per hour may be visible.

The meteor shower originates from asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which differs from most meteor showers that come from comets. As Phaethon approaches the sun and then moves past Mars' orbit, its debris intersects with Earth's path each December, producing the Geminid display.

Winter Solstice 2025

The winter solstice occurs on Sunday, December 21, 2025, marking the shortest day of the year, with roughly 9 hours and 17 minutes of daylight.

Author: Noah Whitman