Summary
In December, various celestial events will be visible in the night sky, including meteor showers, a planetary conjunction, and a visiting comet. The Geminid and Ursid meteor showers will occur, with the Geminids peaking on 14 December. Comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar object, will be closest to Earth on 19 December.
Key Facts
- The Geminid meteor shower is active from 4 to 20 December, peaking on 14 December with over 120 meteors per hour possible.
- The Ursid meteor shower will be visible from 17 to 26 December, with a peak between 22 and 23 December.
- A planetary conjunction, where the Moon and Jupiter appear close together, will be visible on 7 December.
- Comet 3I/ATLAS will be at its closest point to Earth on 19 December, but it requires a telescope to be seen.
- The comet 3I/ATLAS is an interstellar object, meaning it comes from outside our solar system, and it is over seven billion years old.
- The winter solstice, marking the shortest day and longest night in the northern hemisphere, occurs at 15:03 GMT on 21 December.
- The Quadrantid meteor shower, another strong meteor event, starts on 28 December and peaks in early January 2026.
