December 2026 sky guide: Geminids under a friendly crescent
December 2026 belongs to the Geminids. The year's strongest and most reliable meteor shower peaks under a Moon that gets out of the way, and the rest of the month is a well-lit tour: Saturn at dusk, Jupiter taking over the late evening, a dazzling Venus at dawn, and the long nights around the solstice to enjoy all of it. Here is your complete month, with every date computed or verified.
Key takeaways
- Geminids peak Dec 14, 14h UT (ZHR 150) — moon-free second half of the night; best nights Dec 13/14 and 14/15.
- New Moon Dec 9 gives the month's deepest dark window; full Cold Moon Dec 24.
- Ursids peak Dec 22 into a 96%-lit Moon — largely washed out this year.
- Venus is a brilliant morning star all month; Saturn owns the early evening; Jupiter rises by mid-to-late evening.
- Solstice: Dec 21, 16:50 UT — the northern hemisphere's longest night.
Moon phases: December 2026
Principal phases (computed with our Meeus-chapter-49 engine, validated against the US Naval Observatory table to within 2 minutes — methodology):
| Phase | Date | Time (UT) |
|---|---|---|
| Last Quarter | 2026-12-01 | 06:08 |
| New Moon | 2026-12-09 | 00:52 |
| First Quarter | 2026-12-17 | 05:44 |
| Full Moon | 2026-12-24 | 01:28 |
| Last Quarter | 2026-12-30 | 18:58 |
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 53% | 2 42% | 3 31% | 4 22% | 5 14% | 6 8% | |
| 7 3% | 8 1% | 9 0% | 10 1% | 11 3% | 12 7% | 13 13% |
| 14 20% | 15 28% | 16 37% | 17 48% | 18 59% | 19 69% | 20 79% |
| 21 87% | 22 94% | 23 98% | 24 100% | 25 99% | 26 95% | 27 88% |
| 28 80% | 29 70% | 30 59% | 31 48% |
The daily calendar shows illuminated percentage at 00:00 UT each day. Plan deep-sky sessions on the dark run Dec 5–13, either side of the Dec 9 new Moon; after first quarter on Dec 17 the evenings brighten quickly toward the Dec 24 full Moon. Around full, flip to lunar targets — the Moon is the one object that loves moonlight.
Meteor showers in December 2026
Geminids — the headline act
The Geminids (004 GEM) are active Dec 4–20, with maximum at Dec 14, 14h UT (solar longitude 262.2°), a zenithal hourly rate of ZHR 150, and a radiant near RA 112°, Dec +33° — beside Castor in Gemini. Meteors are medium-slow at 35 km/s and often bright, from parent body 3200 Phaethon. The International Meteor Organization's 2026 calendar describes a broad, moon-free maximum: the waxing crescent Moon sets before the prime hours after local midnight when the radiant climbs high. Observers at northern mid-latitudes get the best geometry, but the shower is strong worldwide. Verified: 2026-11-16 — IMO 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar.
Ursids — moonlit this year
The Ursids (015 URS) run Dec 17–26, peaking Dec 22, around 22h UT (ZHR 10, variable; radiant RA 217°, Dec +76°, circumpolar for most northern observers). In 2026 the peak arrives two days before full Moon with our satellite 96% lit in Taurus — the IMO notes chances for reliable optical data are small. Catch an occasional Ursid shooting past the Moon glare if you are out anyway. Verified: 2026-11-16 — IMO 2026 calendar.
Minor showers
The Monocerotids (Dec 1–19, max Dec 9, ZHR 3) and σ-Hydrids (Dec 3–20, max Dec 9, ZHR 7) both peak on the new-Moon night — rates are modest but the dark sky is free. The long-lasting Comae Berenicids peak around Dec 23 (ZHR 3). New to why showers have radiants and peak dates at all? Read why meteor showers happen.
Planets this month
| Planet | Where to look | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Venus | East before dawn | Brilliant (around mag −4.4) morning star; passed greatest brightness Nov 27, dominating the sunrise sky all December. |
| Saturn | South-southwest at dusk | Well-placed early evening, two months past its Oct 4 opposition; rings still generous in small scopes. |
| Jupiter | Rises mid-to-late evening | Brightening in Leo ahead of its Feb 11 opposition; passes 1.3° north of Regulus on Dec 12; the Moon joins it Dec 27. |
| Mars | Southeast before dawn | In Leo near Regulus, brightening every week on the road to its Feb 19, 2027 opposition. |
| Mercury | Low southeast at dawn | Past its Nov 20 morning elongation; sinks back into the Sun's glare toward its Jan 1 superior conjunction. |
| Uranus | All evening (Aries/Taurus) | Just past its Nov 25 opposition at mag 5.7 — a binocular target from dark skies. |
Planet events (Jupiter–Regulus Dec 12, Moon–Jupiter Dec 27, Uranus opposition Nov 25, Venus greatest brightness Nov 27, Mercury elongation Nov 20, solstice Dec 21 16:50 UT) — Verified: 2026-11-16 against the AstroPixels 2026 sky-events almanac and In-The-Sky.org opposition pages.
A red-light torch for reading charts
White light wrecks your dark adaptation for half an hour; red preserves it. The one cheap accessory every Geminid night needs.
Check price →The month in three appointments
- Dec 9 (new Moon): darkest night of the month — galaxies and nebulae before the Geminids ramp up.
- Dec 13/14–14/15 (Geminid peak): bundle up, lie back facing away from the crescent Moon, and count.
- Dec 21–24: solstice longest night, then the full Cold Moon on Dec 24 — high, bright and up all night.
Related reading
- January 2027 sky guide — Quadrantids in perfect darkness
- Moon-phase calculator — check any date in the month
- Why meteor showers happen — the physics behind the Geminids