Geminids 2028: the moon at peak

Dec 13, 2028, 16:27 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

7% Excellent — the moon is essentially out of the way.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Dec 13, 2028, 16:27 UTC

Illumination

Waning 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	Thu, Dec 14 01:27	11.3 h	10.8 h	05:35 (+1)	14:37	Good
Tokyo	Thu, Dec 14 01:27	11.2 h	10.6 h	04:37 (+1)	13:50	Good
New York	Wed, Dec 13 11:27	11.4 h	10.5 h	04:37 (+1)	13:36	Good
Los Angeles	Wed, Dec 13 08:27	11.1 h	10.2 h	04:24 (+1)	13:53	Good
London	Wed, Dec 13 16:27	12.0 h	12.0 h	06:26 (+1)	13:31	Good
Madrid	Wed, Dec 13 17:27	11.4 h	11.4 h	06:53 (+1)	15:28	Good
Sydney	Thu, Dec 14 03:27	6.2 h	5.8 h	03:31 (+1)	17:07	Good
São Paulo	Wed, Dec 13 13:27	7.5 h	7.3 h	03:35 (+1)	16:33	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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