The Ursid meteor shower will be active from December 17 to 26, 2025, and will peak on the night of December 21-22, according to the American Meteor Society.
Ursid meteor shower in 2025
When to see: The Ursid meteor shower will be visible all night, from the evening of December 21 through the dawn of December 22, as its radiant—the point from which the meteors appear to radiate—is circumpolar for most of the northern latitudes.
The radiant of the Ursid meteor shower is circumpolar, meaning it is always above the horizon, which never rises nor sets. The circumpolar radiant reaches its highest point in the sky in the morning and its lowest point in the sky in the early evening. So the shower will be best visible in the pre-dawn hours on December 22, 2025, when the radiant climbs high in the sky.
Where to look: Look in the northern sky in the pre-dawn hours to see the constellation Ursa Minor, from which the Ursid meteor shower radiates.
Polaris—the brightest star in the constellation Ursa Minor, the Little Bear—will help you identify the constellation. It is easily visible even from light-polluted areas. The radiant of the Ursid meteor shower is located to the right of the pole star Polaris in the pre-dawn hours.
Expected meteors during peak activity: The Ursids are a modest shower, producing around 10 meteors per hour during peak activity under ideal conditions.
The shower is worth watching despite its low hourly rates, as it can produce occasional outbursts during which you may see a few hundred meteors per hour.
Moon phase during peak activity: The moon will be in the waxing crescent phase and 3% illuminated during peak activity. As the waxing crescent moon will set in the early evening, the moonlight will not interfere with the Ursids in 2025.
Visibility of the shower: The Ursid meteor shower will be favorable to observers in the Northern Hemisphere, especially those located in the high-northern latitudes (from 45°N to 60°N).
Observers located in the high-northern latitudes will see about 87% of the shower’s activity, as the radiant climbs about 60° above the horizon in the pre-dawn hours.
The Ursid meteor shower will not be visible from the Southern Hemisphere as the circumpolar radiant never rises above the horizon.
Parent of the Ursid meteor shower
Comet 8P/Tuttle is the parent body of the Ursid meteor shower. Every year in late December, when our Earth encounters the debris of ice and dust left behind by the comet 8P/Tuttle, we see the Ursid meteor shower.
Tips to observe the Ursid meteor shower
Tip 1: Plan to spend several hours under a starry sky, as the celestial show of the Ursid meteor shower will be visible until dawn. You’ll see more meteors as the night progresses, with activity reaching its peak just before dawn.
Tip 2: Ursid meteors are relatively faint, so they can be difficult to see unless you are in a rural area. Find a dark, safe location where a large portion of the sky is visible. Sit on a reclining chair and look at the sky midway between the horizon and the zenith, facing roughly north. Bring hot drinks, blankets, and sleeping bags to stay warm.
Tip 3: If possible, try to watch the shower with your family or friends. When someone notices one, call out, “Meteor!”
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