2025’s Top Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend: How To See Geminids In MD

Maryland stargazers who want to catch the prolific Geminid meteor shower as it sparkles across the sky should plan to get as far away from city lights as possible for this weekend’s peak. NASA regards the December shooting star show as the best of the year.

Under ideal conditions, up to 120 meteors an hour may be visible during the shower’s peak on Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 13-14. The yellowish Geminids are bright and fast, and travel at about 21 miles per second.

Barring weather complications, viewing conditions should be near optimum, with only a thin crescent remaining of December’s full cold moon, the third of four consecutive supermoons. The moon rises late, around 2 a.m. local time, so most of the night will have dark skies.

Unfortunately, Maryland’s weekend forecast may not be ideal for stargazing. A winter storm heading toward the Baltimore area could bring up to 4 inches of accumulating snow to the region Saturday night into early Sunday, according to the latest forecasts, which means mostly cloudy skies are likely.

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Chances may be better on Sunday night, when the forecast calls for mostly clear skies with a low of around 18 degrees.

The Geminids offer a great skywatching activity for kids because the shower starts around 9 or 10 p.m. Peak activity lasts for about 24 hours, which means Geminids should be visible until dawn, according to NASA.

The Geminid meteor shower wasn’t particularly noteworthy and only produced 10 or 20 shooting stars an hour when astronomers discovered it in the mid-1800s. Since then, the Geminids have become “one of the best and most reliable annual meteor showers,” according to NASA.

The fiery and colorful meteors we see in the sky are created when Earth passes through dusty trails left behind by comets and asteroids — in the case of the Geminids, asteroid 3200 Phaethon. These celestial objects leave behind leftover particles as they orbit the sun. When the bits of debris collide with our atmosphere, they disintegrate, producing the brilliant display.

For the best view of the Geminids, get out of the city and away from streetlights. Be sure to dress warmly for the winter temperatures and bring a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair.

To watch the meteor shower, lie flat on your back with your feet facing south and look up to take in as much of the sky as possible. Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark, and then you should start seeing meteors. Be patient. Because the shower lasts until dawn, you’ll have plenty of time to catch the celestial display.

The Geminids run through Dec. 21, so stargazers who miss the peak may see between 40 and 50 meteors an hour on the days leading up to and after the shooting star show’s climax.

The Ursid meteor shower peaks as the Geminids fade away, on Dec. 21-22. This minor meteor shower runs Dec. 16-26 and offers about five or 10 shooting stars an hour. It is produced by dust grains left behind by comet 8P/Tuttle, discovered in 1790.

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