Geminid meteor shower 2026
The Geminids peak on Monday, December 14, 2026, with up to 150 meteors an hour under a dark sky. On the peak night the Moon is 22% lit, and the meteors seem to come from Gemini.
At a glance
- Next peak
- Monday, December 14, 2026
- Meteors an hour
- Up to 150
- Radiant
- Gemini
- Parent
- asteroid 3200 Phaethon
- Moon on the peak night
- 22% lit, waxing crescent Moon
Where to look
The Geminids seem to come from a point in Gemini, called the radiant. You don't need to look straight at it: meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and the higher the radiant, the more you see. Times are local solar time on the peak night. Your clock can differ by an hour or more, for example during daylight saving time.
| From | Radiant rises | Highest | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40° north | 5:50 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 83° |
| 35° south | 9:50 p.m. | 2:00 a.m. | 22° |
The Geminids in the next years
The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year. The Moon figures are for midnight in Toronto on the peak night.
| Peak | Moon | Moon lit |
|---|---|---|
| Monday, December 14, 2026 | waxing crescent Moon | 22% |
| Tuesday, December 14, 2027 | waning gibbous Moon | 97% |
| Wednesday, December 13, 2028 | waning crescent Moon | 5% |
| Friday, December 14, 2029 | waxing gibbous Moon | 64% |
| Saturday, December 14, 2030 | waning gibbous Moon | 84% |
Where the Geminids come from
The Geminids are dust from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere as meteors.
Keep the night of the Geminids
Put the sky above Toronto on the night of the December 14, 2026 peak on a star map. You can change the place, the date and the words in the editor.
Questions about the Geminids
The Geminids peak on Monday, December 14, 2026. The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year, so the nights just before and after are worth a look too.
Up to about 150 at the peak, under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. From most places you see fewer, especially with the Moon up.
Anywhere in the sky. The meteors seem to come from Gemini, but they cross the whole sky, so look at a wide dark patch away from the Moon.
Yes, but fewer. From 35° south the radiant climbs only to 22°, against 83° from 40° north, so you see fewer meteors.
On the 2026 peak night the Moon is 22% lit. That leaves a dark sky for the fainter meteors.
The Geminids are dust from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere.
Other meteor showers
More of the night sky
- Upcoming eclipsesEvery lunar and solar eclipse of the next 10 years.
- Night sky tonightThe Moon, the planets you can see and the time it gets dark in your city.
- Night sky on any dateThe Moon, the planets and the stars above any place, from 1900 to 2100.
- Moon phase on your birthdayThe phase and the shape of the Moon on the day you were born.