If you are a dedicated sky watcher, you are about to be rewarded with the final meteor shower of 2024: the Geminids are here, and they’ll stick around from now until Christmas Eve. It is considered one of the most spectacular showers of the year, with more than 100 meteors per hour visible during the peak (in ideal conditions, anyway).
The Geminids are so named because they appear to come from the Gemini constellation—twins Castor and Pollux—but they are special for a different reason. Unlike other major meteor showers, which originate from comet debris, they are the result of an unusual asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. Phaethon’s qualities and behavior have led scientists to consider it an asteroid-comet hybrid, or “rock comet.”
When and how to watch the Geminids in 2024
The Geminid meteor shower began on Nov. 19 and goes through Dec. 24, with a peak expected on the night of Dec. 13–14. Like many other major showers this year, the moon will be in a less-than-ideal phase during the peak, brightening the night sky and (somewhat) reducing visibility of the meteors. However, the Geminids will still be impressive due to the sheer volume and rate, especially if the sky is clear, as the meteors are bright, fast, and “intensely colored.”
According to NASA, the best viewing occurs throughout the night into the predawn hours, with the possibility of seeing meteors as early as 9 p.m. As always, you’ll want to head to a dark location with minimal light pollution. Bundle up, find a comfortable spot to lie on your back with your feet facing south, and give your eyes a chance to adjust to the darkness over a half hour or so.
While the radiant is the constellation Gemini, which can help guide you, don’t get too fixated on that spot: the Geminids are visible all over the sky.
