When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission.The Geminid meteor shower is a key highlight of December. . | Credit: wenbin/Getty ImagesWithout question of doubt, near the top of the list of the very best celestial events of 2025 would be the upcoming performance of the Geminid meteor shower. This pre-Christmas display of celestial fireworks is due to reach its peak during the long, dark overnight hours of Saturday, Dec. 13, into the morning hours of Sunday, Dec. 14.The moon will be a waning crescent that won’t rise until the predawn hours when the Geminid meteor shower should be at its peak. This annual shower is as reliable as the Perseids of August and is now, according to British meteor expert Alastair McBeath, “. . . one of the very best presently seen from the Earth.”AdvertisementAdvertisementAnd yet initially, you may not get overly excited about the prospects of spending a night under the stars looking for Geminid meteors. After all, mid-December is a mighty cold time for lying on your back at night and staring up at the sky. But ask most experienced meteor observers which meteor display they would prefer to view and the majority would go with the Geminids — nicknamed the “Gems” — who many now consider to be stronger and more satisfying than their famous midsummer counterpart. The “Gems” are a rich meteor display that is apparently on the rise.When is the best time to look for Geminids?You don’t have to wake up to the predawn hours to see the Geminids well displayed. They are among a small minority of showers that are quite good before midnight. Most meteor showers are strongest before the first light of dawn because that’s when your side of the Earth faces forward in our planet’s rush along its orbit and plows through meteor streams hea …
