Look Up! The Skies Bid Farewell to 2024 With Three Meteor Showers in December

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December is the most active month for meteor showers, and this year’s celestial show is already in full swing. The Geminids, usually the strongest meteor shower of the year, started their parade on Dec. 2, but the peak of their activity won’t be until the nights of Dec. 12 and 13. Fortunately, they will remain visible until Dec. 21, giving stargazers plenty of time to catch sight of the meteors.

Under ideal conditions, observers might see up to 150 meteors per hour during the Geminids’ peak. However, this year the peak coincides with an almost full moon, whose brightness will overshadow many meteors, making them harder to spot. There’s still hope, though: If the sky is clear and star visibility is good, you can maximize your chances of spotting bright meteors by positioning yourself with the moon behind you.

How to Spot Them

Meteor showers are named after the constellations from which they appear to originate, a point in the sky known as their “radiant.” In the case of the Geminid meteor shower, that means the direction of the Gemini constellation, located northeast of Orion. Gemini is easily recognizable by its two brightest stars, Castor and Pollux. However, while the radiant provides a reference point, meteors can streak across the entire sky. To maximize your viewing experience, it’s best to watch a broad expanse of the heavens rather than focusing solely on Gemini.