Meteor shower Geminids — observing times and guide
Geminids visibility on 2026-12-14
Geminids rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
Moonrise, 20.5% illuminated  | 06:29 | -6° |
| Geminids radiant rise | 13:23 | |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 13:44 | 3° |
| Moonset | 17:24 | 41° |
| Geminids radiant transit | 21:30 | 82° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 01:09 | 46° |
| Twilight end (−12°) | 01:42 | 39° |
| Civil sunrise | 02:16 | 33° |
| Sunrise | 02:48 | 27° |
| Geminids radiant set | 05:36 |
Track Geminids position throughout the night
← 14 December 2026 →
| Time | |
| Altitude | |
| Azimuth |
Moon conditions for Geminids — 2026
Meteor visibility depends strongly on the Moon’s position and brightness. This chart helps identify darker observing periods.
Blue and white show night and day; red marks when the radiant is above the horizon, the white line its transit, and grey when the Moon is above the horizon. Select a date for detailed Sun and Moon times.
Observing the Geminids
Radiant position:
- Right Ascension: 07h 34m 00s"
- Declination: 32° 18' 00s
Peak activity: Active from December 4 to December 17; with peak activity around December 14.
Associated parent body: Geminids is produced by debris associated with (3200) Phaethon. Earth encounters this stream along its orbit.
Geminids — Observation history
Previous activity records show the reported start, peak and end dates. Exact dates may shift slightly from year to year.
| Year | Start date | Peak date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | - | December 14 | - |
| 2003 | - | December 14 | - |
| 2008 | November 25 | December 13 | December 18 |
| 2009 | November 27 | December 13 | December 30 |
| 2010 | November 22 | December 13 | December 24 |
| 2015 | November 25 | December 14 | December 14 |
Use these dates as a historical guide and check current predictions near the event.
Data Credits
Meteor data are provided by the International Astronomical Union Meteor Data Center . We thank the observers and researchers who contribute these records.