Every December, the night sky puts on a stunning natural show as Earth passes through a cloud of space dust. This dust creates the Geminids meteor shower, one of the brightest and most popular meteor displays of the year. In 2025, the Geminids reached their peak around December 13 and gave skywatchers a beautiful view, helped by a relatively dim moon.
People across the world stepped outside to watch the sky glow with fast, bright streaks of light. Many photographers captured the magical moments, including famous astrophotographer Josh Dury, whose images shared the beauty of the event with a global audience. Clear skies in many regions made the experience even more special.
Despite the name, meteors are not falling stars. They are tiny pieces of space rock or dust, often no bigger than a grain of sand. As these particles rush into Earth’s atmosphere at very high speed, they heat up and burn, creating a quick flash of light before disappearing.
What makes the Geminids different from many other meteor showers is their source. Instead of coming from a comet, the Geminids are created by debris from a rocky object in space. This debris is thicker and stronger, which is why Geminids often appear brighter and more colorful.
The meteors seem to spread out from a single point in the sky known as the radiant. This point lies in the constellation Gemini, near a bright star called Castor. That is how the shower gets its name.
For many people, watching the Geminids has become a yearly tradition. Wrapped in warm clothes, families and friends look up together, enjoying a reminder of the vast and beautiful universe. Even without special equipment, the Geminids offer a simple yet unforgettable sky show for everyone to enjoy.