December 2025 Skywatch Alerts: Geminids Meteor Storm, Rare Planetary Sights & Auroras Galore
The Geminid meteor shower peaks overnight on December 13–14, 2025, with as many as 100–150 meteors per hour under dark skies, originating from asteroid 3200 Phaethon. The Ursid meteor shower peaks around December 21–22, 2025, near 11:00 UTC, typically producing 5–10 meteors per hour under dark skies thanks to a new Moon on December 20. Mercury reaches its greatest western elongation on December 7, 2025, about 20° west of the Sun, with magnitude around −0.5 and visible low in the southeastern dawn sky about 30–45 minutes before sunrise. On December 7, 2025, a Moon–Jupiter conjunction occurs with a Moon about