Geminids

The Geminids are a prolific meteor shower with 3200 Phaethon (which is thought to be an Apollo asteroid^[4] with a "rock comet" orbit.^[5]) being the parent body.^[6] Because of this, it would make this shower, along with the Quadrantids, the only major meteor showers not originating from a comet. The meteors from this shower are slow, they can be seen in December and usually peak around December 4–16, with the date of highest intensity being the morning of December 14. Current showers produce up to 120–160 meteors per hour under optimal conditions, peaking around 2:00 or 3:00. Geminids were first observed in 1862,^[1] much later than other showers such as the Perseids (36 AD) and Leonids (902 AD).

Geminids (GEM)
The Geminids meteor shower as seen from the Northern Hemisphere, in December 2013
Pronunciation	/ˈdʒɛmənədz/
Discovery date	1862[1]
Parent body	3200 Phaethon[2]
Radiant
Constellation	Gemini (near Castor)
Right ascension	07h 28m [2]
Declination	+32°[2]
Properties
Occurs during	4 December – 17 December[2]
Date of peak	14 December[2]
Velocity	35[3] km/s
Zenithal hourly rate	120[2]
See also: List of meteor showers

Based on data from the Parker Solar Probe, a 2023 study suggested that the Geminids may have been formed by the catastrophic breakup of a comet that formed asteroids 2005 UD and 1999 YC in addition to Phaethon.^[7][8]

Background

The Geminid meteor shower is unique among celestial events as it originates not from a comet but from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, discovered on Oct. 11, 1983, by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). Phaethon's 1.4-year orbit around the Sun and its comet-like elliptical trajectory have led scientists to speculate if it is a "dead comet" or a distinct celestial entity known as a "rock comet." Despite its comet-like orbit, Phaethon lacks a cometary tail and exhibits spectra resembling a rocky asteroid. The Geminid meteoroids formed from Phaethon are denser (2–3 g/cm³) than typical cometary dust flakes (0.3 g/cm³). Named after the Greek mythological figure who drove the Sun-god Helios' chariot, Phaethon's discovery was attributed to astronomer Fred Whipple.^[9]

Radiant

Appearance of the Geminids on 13 December 2025 at 21:00 local winter time

A Geminid meteor in 2007, seen from San Francisco

Asteroid (3200) Phaethon, parent body of the Geminids, imaged on December 25, 2010, with the 37 cm F14 Cassegrain telescope of Winer Observatory, Sonoita (MPC 857)

The meteors in this shower appear to come from the radiant in the constellation Gemini (hence the shower's name). However, they can appear almost anywhere in the night sky, and often appear yellowish in hue. Well north of the equator, the radiant rises about sunset, reaching a usable elevation from the local evening hours onwards. In the southern hemisphere, the radiant appears only around local midnight or so. Observers in the northern hemisphere will see higher Geminid rates as the radiant is higher in the sky.^[10] The meteors travel at medium speed in relation to other showers, at about 22 miles per second (35 km/s), making them fairly easy to spot. They usually fall apart while at heights above 24 miles (39 km).^[11]

Animated GIF of a Geminid meteor falling earthwards

Timeline

Year	Peak of shower	ZHRmax	Lunar phase[12]
2006	December 14	115[13]	33% waning crescent
2007	December 15	122[14]	30% waxing crescent
2008	December 14	139[15]	95% full moon
2009	December 13	120[16]	9% new moon
2010	December 14	127[17]	59% first quarter
2011	December 14	198[18]	86% waning gibbous
2012	December 14[3]	109[19]	2% new moon
2013	December 14[20]	134[21]	92% full moon
2014	December 14[22]	253[23]	50% last quarter
2015	December 14	120[24]	10% waxing crescent
2016	December 13	25[25]	100% full moon
2017	December 14	145[26]	13% waning crescent
2018	December 14	125±9[27]	41% waxing crescent
2019	December 14	120[28]	94% waning gibbous
2020	December 13	120[29]	2% waning crescent
2021	December 13	125±25[30]	73% waxing gibbous
2022	December 14	120	72% waning gibbous
2023	December 13	150[31]	0% waxing crescent

See also

• List of meteor showers