Geminids 2026: the moon at peak

Dec 14, 2026, 04:52 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

22% Good — a thin moon leaves most of the night usable.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Dec 14, 2026, 04:52 UTC

Illumination

22%

Waxing crescent

Peak rate (ZHR)

~150/hour

Radiant

Gemini

Active period

Dec 4 – Dec 20

Peak night by city

For each city: the local time of the peak, and how much of that night is both astronomically dark and free of moonlight.

City	Peak (local time)	Astronomical darkness	Moon-free darkness	Moonrise	Moonset	Rating
Seoul	Mon, Dec 14 13:52	11.3 h	8.2 h	11:36 (+1)	21:52	Good
Tokyo	Mon, Dec 14 13:52	11.2 h	8.2 h	10:42 (+1)	21:02	Good
New York	Sun, Dec 13 23:52	11.4 h	8.8 h	10:54 (+1)	20:42	Good
Los Angeles	Sun, Dec 13 20:52	11.1 h	8.3 h	10:44 (+1)	21:00	Good
London	Mon, Dec 14 04:52	12.0 h	9.9 h	11:19 (+1)	20:02	Good
Madrid	Mon, Dec 14 05:52	11.4 h	9.0 h	—	21:50	Good
Sydney	Mon, Dec 14 15:52	6.2 h	4.3 h	10:47 (+1)	23:38	Good
São Paulo	Mon, Dec 14 01:52	7.5 h	5.4 h	09:46 (+1)	22:20	Good

Why the moon decides a meteor shower

Meteor rates quoted as ZHR assume a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Real counts fall off fast with sky brightness, and the moon is the one source of sky brightness that is completely predictable years ahead. A full moon near the peak can cut visible meteors by three quarters even under a cloudless sky. That is why the useful question is not “when is the peak” but “where is the moon at the peak” — which is what this page computes.

Other years

Other meteor showers

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