Each year, the lovely, colourful Geminids meteor shower is visible from the 3rd to the 16th December 2021. The display reaches its peak in the UK during the early hours of 14th December, with multi-coloured shooting stars visible all over the sky. Big smiles and frozen fingers all-round!
From a dark sky location with no bright Moon, it can be one of the most spectacular and active showers of the year, up to 100 shooting stars may be visible at the peak in the right conditions.
The Geminids are visible from all over the Northern Hemisphere and are great for younger stargazers as they start at around 9 pm.
No equipment needed, just your eyes!
You don’t need any binoculars or telescope to see the Geminids – the naked eye is best.
Find a dark area, away from pesky streetlights and outdoor lighting. Take a blanket or lawn chair, sleeping bag and flask, and wrap up in extra layers. The truly dedicated may want a hot water bottle.
After about 15 – 20 minutes, your eyes will become adapted to the dark, and you’ll be able to spot even the faintest meteors — don’t be tempted to look at your phone!
Lie on your back with your feet facing south (your phone has a compass) and take in as much sky as possible. Be patient – gradually, you’ll start to see the meteors and their different-coloured trains. Then, whoosh! Did you spot that one? Ah, it was behind you; better luck next time!
What causes the Geminids meteor shower?
Meteors come from leftover debris from comets and asteroids. As they orbit the Sun, they leave a dusty trail. Each year, Earth passes through this debris. These tiny particles – about the size of a grain of sand – collide with our atmosphere at great speed.
The Geminids are the result of debris leftover from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which orbits the Sun every 524 days. As this debris enters Earth’s atmosphere, the friction causes the particles to light up and create fantastic trails across our sky — a shooting star!
Why is it called the Geminids meteor shower?
The Geminids appear to come from the constellation Gemini, the ‘Twins’, the part of the sky they can be traced back to is known as the ‘radiant. Don’t look at Gemini directly – the meteors can appear anywhere in the sky — the further away from the constellation, the longer their trails.
Geminids radiant is near the star Castor
And Gemini itself is not the source of the meteors – it’s the part of the sky the meteors appear to originate. So the Perseids shower comes from Perseus, Leonids come from Leo, and Orionids come from… well, can you guess where?
The Gemini constellation dances on the left shoulder of Orion, with their two bright ‘head’ stars called Castor and Pollux.
The colourful meteor display
We love the Geminids because they are nature’s fireworks – they contain the same chemicals that make fireworks colourful. So, if you had to cancel your fireworks display this year, now’s the chance to make up for it – white, yellow, green, red and blue-tinged meteors may be spotted!
Where are the best places to see the Geminids meteor shower in the UK?
The best places to see the Geminids can be found on our stargazing locations map.
Geminids meteor shower public stargazing events
Is there anything in your area? Find out here. Our events map is updated continuously on the run-up to the peak of the meteor shower, do check back regularly!
Geminids meteor event list
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