You're bound to have seen the headlines already: how the 2024 Geminid meteor shower peaks this weekend, lighting up the night sky with hundreds of shooting stars.
This is because the Geminid meteor shower is one of the best meteor showers of the year, and this weekend is peak activity, the best time to see the Geminids.
However, as with many night-sky events reported online, in 2024 this isn't wholly accurate!
There's something rather spectacular in the night sky that's going to put a dampener on this year's Geminid meteor shower display.
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Geminids explained
Meteor showers are caused when Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by comets and, sometimes, asteroids, on its journey around the Sun.
The Geminids are caused by a trail of debris left behind by an asteroid, 3200 Phaethon.
When tiny grains of debris hit Earth's atmosphere, they burn up, and we see the effect of this as a meteor or shooting star in the night sky.
Geminds activity starts early December and peak rates in 2024 shower occur on the nights of 13/14 and 14/15 December.
Find out when the next meteor shower is happening.
What's spoiling the Geminids in 2024?
A meteor shower gets its name from the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to emanate. This is the 'radiant'.
The radiant of December's biggest meteor shower is in the constellation Gemini, which is why it's called the Geminid meteor shower.
As well as peak activity, another thing to consider when you're planning to observe a meteor shower is what the Moon will be doing during that time.
If the Moon is out of the way, you're in luck. The sky will be nice and dark during peak activity.
If the skies are also clear, then conditions for that meteor shower are perfect.
In 2024, there's a bright full Moon that will be high in the sky and very close to the shower radiant in Gemini.
This is the so-called Cold Moon, and while moongazers will be basking in the lunar glow, meteor shower observers will be cursing its glare!
The meteor shower is predicted to reach maximum activity at 02:00 UT on 14 December, and the night of 13/14 December will have a nearly full Moon high in the sky from dusk until dawn.
That bright full Moon will hamper how many Geminid meteors you can expect to see during peak activity.
This means that observing the meteor shower when the Moon is out of the way may be a better option than waiting for the peak night.
It also means that it's very unlikely you'll see "hundreds of meteors lighting up the night sky".
Find out more about how to avoid the Moon with our guide on photographing a meteor shower during full Moon.
Hold out for the Quadrantids
If this all sounds a bit dismal, fear not!
The first meteor shower of the year is the Quadrantid meteor shower, the peak of which in 2025 occurs around 2/3 January, when a thin crescent Moon will be out of the way.
You'll have darker skies and better conditions for observing meteors.
Observing the Quadrantids is a great way of getting over the post-Christmas blues and beginning a brand new calendar year of stargazing.
Have you managed to see any Geminid meteors this year? Did you manage to photograph any? Let us know by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com or get in touch via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
