Geminids 2026 · peak in 31 nights
Geminids 2026: peak night 13–14 Dec.
The Geminids are usually the strongest shower of the year, and unusually they come from an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon. They’re good before midnight too. The Geminids are active from 4 Dec to 20 Dec, peaking on the night of Sunday 13 December. The Moon will be 21% lit and won’t get in the way much (it sets at 20:02 in London).
The International Meteor Organization predicts the maximum at about 14:00 GMT on Monday 14 December, which is daylight in the UK. But the Geminid peak is broad, with rates of 100 or more for 10 to 12 hours, and over the last 20 years the peak has arrived anywhere between 21:00 on the 13th and 18:00 on the 14th. So Sunday night (13–14 December) is the best bet, and Monday evening (14 December) is well worth a look too: bright Geminids tend to come towards the end of the peak.
Peak night, town by town
| Town | Look up after | Radiant highest | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lerwick | 20:21 | 01:56 (62°) | sets 20:51 |
| Kirkwall | 20:34 | 02:09 (63°) | sets 19:39 |
| Inverness | 20:41 | 02:16 (65°) | sets 19:53 |
| Aberdeen | 20:35 | 02:05 (65°) | sets 19:46 |
| Edinburgh | 20:43 | 02:08 (66°) | sets 19:56 |
| Glasgow | 20:42 | 02:12 (66°) | sets 20:01 |
| Belfast | 20:52 | 02:22 (68°) | sets 20:14 |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 20:38 | 02:03 (67°) | sets 19:54 |
| York | 20:36 | 02:01 (68°) | sets 19:57 |
| Manchester | 20:39 | 02:04 (69°) | sets 20:03 |
| Birmingham | 20:43 | 02:03 (70°) | sets 20:06 |
| Norwich | 20:29 | 01:49 (70°) | sets 19:52 |
| Cardiff | 20:48 | 02:08 (71°) | sets 20:15 |
| London | 20:36 | 01:56 (71°) | sets 20:02 |
| Brighton | 20:39 | 01:59 (71°) | sets 20:05 |
| Plymouth | 20:52 | 02:12 (72°) | sets 20:23 |
UK time. “Look up after” is when the sky is dark and the radiant is 30° up. “Radiant highest” is the best single moment before dawn. A cloud forecast for each town appears here about a week before the peak. Not listed? Search your town or postcode.
How many could you see?
Worked out for London’s sky at the best moment on the peak night (radiant 71° up), if the shower is at full strength then. These are best cases: haze, cloud, a less-than-perfect view and timing away from the peak all bring the numbers down, and this year’s predicted peak falls in UK daylight.
Uses the International Meteor Organization’s formula: rate = ZHR × sin(radiant height) ÷ 2.6(6.5 − faintest star you can see), with faintest stars of magnitude 6.5, 5.5 and 4.5. Getting away from streetlights makes the biggest difference.
Questions
What time should I look for the Geminids tonight?
Once it’s properly dark and the radiant (the point the meteors seem to come from) is well up. The table gives that time for each town. Rates usually climb through the night as the radiant gets higher, so the hours before dawn are often best, but any time after the “look up after” time is good.
How many Geminids will I see?
The “up to about 150 an hour” figure assumes a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Under real skies it’s far fewer: see the “how many” box above, worked out for London’s sky on the peak night. Moonlight and haze cut the numbers too.
Where in the sky are the Geminids?
They seem to come from near Castor and Pollux, the two bright stars of Gemini. From the UK that point rises in the north-east around dusk, is high in the east by late evening and is almost overhead in the south at about 2am. But meteors appear all over the sky, so you don’t need to find it.
Can I see the Geminids before midnight?
Yes, which is unusual for a meteor shower. Gemini is already well up by about 9pm in mid-December, so evening watching works, with rates rising towards 2am. That makes the Geminids the best shower for children.
Do I need a telescope or binoculars?
No. Meteors are fast and spread across the sky, so your eyes are the best tool. Lie back, look at a wide patch of sky and give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust. Keep your phone screen dim, and wrap up warm.
Which direction should I look?
Anywhere. Meteors appear all over the sky. Looking about halfway up, a little away from the radiant, often shows longer trails.
Will clouds spoil it?
They might. About a week before the peak this page starts showing the cloud forecast for each town on the peak night, and the card for your town shows tonight’s hour-by-hour cloud.