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King of the meteor showers closes 2024

09:00 PM
December 14, 2024

December astro outlook
King of the meteor showers closes 2024

Man sits with telescope looking up at the Milky Way.

December delivers the best meteor shower of the year, though it may be masked due to a full moon.

EventDate
New MoonDecember 1st
Geminid Meteor ShowerDecember 13-14th
Full Moon (Cold Moon)December 15th
Winter SolsticeDecember 21st
Ursid Meteor ShowerDecember 23rd
New MoonDecember 30th
Moon phases

Following a short break, the Geminids peak on the night of December 13th. The highlight of each year, this shower began on December 4th.

Often referred to as the "King of meteor showers", shooting stars blaze overhead in a variety of colors due to the presence of various metals, including the same metals used to add color to fireworks, and can produce up to 150 meteors an hour.

This year, the peak of the Geminids arrives days before the Cold Moon. At this time, the moonlight is at its strongest, meaning many of the shooting stars will be obscured.

On December 21st we reach the Winter Solstice. Officially the shortest day of the year, and the point from which our days start growing longer once again.

The Ursid Meteor Shower then reaches its peak on the 23rd, active from the 17th, this is a minor shower with an average rate of just 10 shooting stars an hour.

From here, a New Moon on December 30th closes the month, and the year, for stargazers.

Keep track of the Sun and Moon with the astro card feature on the app's home screen for your location.

Check back closer to the time of each of these events for more information and the latest forecasts on visibility.

James West
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