King of the meteor showers closes 2024

December delivers the best meteor shower of the year, though it may be masked due to a full moon.

The month kicked off with a New Moon on the 1st, the best time to spot constellations with a lack of moonlight.

Following a short break, the Geminids peak on the night of December 13th. The highlight of each year, this shower begins from December 4th.

Often referred to as the "King of meteor showers", shooting stars blaze overhead in a variety of colours due to the presence of various metals, including the same metals used to add colour to fireworks, and can produce up to 150 meteors an hour.

This year, the peak of the Geminids arrives days before the Cold Moon. At this time, the moonlight is at its strongest, meaning many of the shooting stars will be obscured.

On December 21st we reach the Winter Solstice. Officially the shortest day of the year, and the point from which our days start growing longer once again.

The Ursid Meteor Shower then reaches its peak on the 23rd, active from the 17th, this is a minor shower with an average rate of just 10 shooting stars an hour.

From here, a New Moon on December 30th closes the month, and the year, for stargazers.

Keep track of the Sun and Moon with the astro card feature on the app's home screen for your location.

Check back closer to the time of each of these events for more information and the latest forecasts on visibility.