Meteor Activity Outlook for 20-26 December 2025

During this period, the moon’s phase will reach its new phase on Saturday December 20th. At that time, it will lie close to the sun and will be invisible at night. As the week progresses the moon will enter the evening sky as a waxing crescent but will not interfere with viewing meteor activity during the more active morning hours.

The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this weekend should be near 4 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and 3 as seen from tropical southern locations (25°S). For morning observers, the estimated total hourly rates should be near 16 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and 11 as seen from tropical southern locations (25°S).

The actual rates observed will also depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness, and experience in watching meteor activity. Note that the hourly rates listed below are estimates based on observations from dark-sky sites away from urban light sources. Observers viewing from urban areas will see less activity, as only the brighter meteors will be visible from such locations.

The radiant (the area of the sky from which meteors appear to originate) positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning, December 20/21. These positions do not change greatly from day to day, so the listed coordinates may be used throughout this entire period. Most star atlases (available online, in bookstores, and at planetariums) include maps with celestial coordinate grids that can help you locate these positions in the sky.

I have also included charts of the sky that display the radiant positions for evening, midnight, and morning. The center of each chart represents the sky directly overhead at the corresponding hour. These charts are oriented for facing south but can be used for any direction by rotating them accordingly. A planisphere or planetarium app is also useful for showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year.

Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky (culmination), either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. Radiants that rise after midnight will not reach their highest point in the sky until daylight; therefore, it is best to view them during the last few hours of the night.

It must be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen directly at the radiant position. Rather, meteors shoot outward from the radiant, so it is best to center your field of view so that the radiant lies near the edge rather than the center. Viewing in this way allows you to trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it belongs to a shower) or in another direction if it is sporadic. Meteor activity is not visible from radiants located far below the horizon.

The positions below are listed in west-to-east order by right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are located farther west and are therefore accessible earlier in the night, while those listed farther down the list rise later.

These sources of meteoric activity are expected to be active this week

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Now that the activity from particles produced by comet 2P/Encke have ceased encountering the Earth, the Taurid showers for 2025 are over and we resume reporting activity from the Anthelion (ANT) radiant. This is not a true radiant, but rather activity caused by the Earth’s motion through space. As the Earth revolves around the sun it encounters particles orbiting in a pro-grade motion that are approaching their perihelion point. They all appear to be radiating from an area near the opposition point of the sun, hence the name Anthelion. These were once recorded as separate showers throughout the year, but it is now suggested to bin them into a category separate from true showers and sporadics. This radiant is a very large oval some thirty degrees wide by fifteen degrees high. Activity from this radiant can appear from more than one constellation. The position listed here is for the center of the radiant which is currently located at 06:48 (102) +23. This position lies in central Gemini, 2 degrees southeast of the 3rd magnitude star known as Mebsuta (epsilon Geminorum). This radiant is best placed near 01:00 local standard time (LST) when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the southern sky. Rates at this time should be near 3 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and 2 per hour as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the average Anthelion meteor would be of medium-slow velocity.

The Comae Berenicids (COM) are a long duration shower active from December 5th through February 4th. Maximum activity occurs on December 19th. The radiant is currently located at 10:48 (162) +31, which places it in eastern Leo Minor, 2 degrees south of the 4^th magnitude star known as Praecipua (46 Leonis Minoris). These meteors would be best seen near 05:00 LST, when the radiant lies highest in the southern sky. Current rates should be near 2 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and 1 as seen south of the equator. At 64km/sec., these meteors would produce mostly swift meteors.

The Ursids (URS) are active from a radiant located at 14:28 (217) +76. This area of the sky is located in southern Ursa Minor, near the spot occupied by the 4th magnitude star known as 5 Ursae Minoris. The Ursids are active from December 13-24, with maximum activity occurring on the 22^nd. Current rates are expected to be less than 1 per hour no matter your location. These meteors are best seen in the last few hours before dawn when the radiant lies highest in the northern sky. At 36km/sec., these meteors are of medium velocity. Due to the high northern location, these meteors are not visible from the southern hemisphere.

Sporadic meteors are those that cannot be associated with any known meteor shower. All meteor showers evolve and disperse over time until they are no longer recognizable. Away from the peaks of major annual showers, these sporadic meteors make up the bulk of the activity seen each night.

As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45°N), one would expect to see approximately 11 sporadic meteors per hour during the last hour before dawn, from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be near 3 per hour. From tropical southern latitudes (25°S), morning rates would be around 9 per hour and 2 per hour during the evening. Locations between these two extremes would experience activity between these figures.

The list below provides information in tabular form on the active showers that are within reach of the visual observer to discern. Rates and positions in the table are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning December 20/21.

Class Explanation: A scale to group meteor showers by their intensity:

• Class I: the strongest annual showers with Zenith Hourly Rates normally ten or better.
• Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR’s normally two to ten.
• Class III: showers that do not provide annual activity. These showers are rarely active yet have the potential to produce a major display on occasion.
• Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR’s rarely exceeding two. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. These weak showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III.