Geminid Meteor Shower 2026 Peaks Dec. 13-14: Moonset Times for 12 U.S. Cities

The 2026 Geminid meteor shower peaks the night of Sunday, Dec. 13 to Monday, Dec. 14, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the International Meteor Organization (IMO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The AMS puts the Moon at 15% lit that night. This story adds the Moon’s setting and rising times for 12 U.S. cities from the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO), plus a one-page viewing checklist. None of the three sources has published an hour for the peak yet.

Geminid peak and active dates for 2026

All three organizations agree on the dates. The shower runs for two weeks, and the peak night falls on a Sunday into a Monday.

Source	Peak	Active
AMS, 2026/2027 Meteor Shower Calendar	Dec. 13-14	Dec. 4-17
IMO, 2026/2027 Meteor Shower Calendar	Dec. 13-14	Dec. 4-17
NASA Science, Geminids	Dec. 13-14	Dec. 4-17

Sites that give Dec. 20 as the end date disagree with the AMS, the IMO and NASA, which all list Dec. 17. Mark Dec. 17 on your own calendar, or on the December 2026 printable calendar.

How many Geminids can you see per hour?

NASA says to expect 40 to 50 meteors per hour in dark skies. It adds that 120 Geminid meteors per hour can be seen under perfect conditions.

NASA puts the speed at 22 miles (35 kilometers) per second, and the AMS describes the shower’s velocity as medium-slow.

Moonset and moonrise times for 12 U.S. cities on Geminid peak night

The Moon decides how dark the sky is. The AMS describes the peak night as a 15% lit waxing crescent with “generally favorable lunar conditions, with limited moonlight interference.” The USNO’s listings for the cities below show 18% to 20% lit on Dec. 13 and 26% to 28% on Dec. 14, a different figure from the AMS’s 15%. For viewing, the useful number is when the Moon is below the horizon.

We pulled each city’s times from the USNO rise and set data service for Dec. 13 and Dec. 14, 2026, using the city’s center coordinates and local standard time (December is standard time in every row).

City	Time zone	Moonset, Sun., Dec. 13	Sunrise, Mon., Dec. 14	Moonrise, Mon., Dec. 14
New York	Eastern	8:43 p.m.	7:12 a.m.	10:55 a.m.
Boston	Eastern	8:27 p.m.	7:06 a.m.	10:46 a.m.
Atlanta	Eastern	9:40 p.m.	7:34 a.m.	11:26 a.m.
Miami	Eastern	9:35 p.m.	6:59 a.m.	10:58 a.m.
Chicago	Central	8:37 p.m.	7:10 a.m.	10:52 a.m.
Dallas	Central	9:33 p.m.	7:22 a.m.	11:15 a.m.
Denver	Mountain	8:54 p.m.	7:13 a.m.	10:59 a.m.
Phoenix	Mountain	9:36 p.m.	7:24 a.m.	11:18 a.m.
Los Angeles	Pacific	9:00 p.m.	6:51 a.m.	10:44 a.m.
Seattle	Pacific	8:48 p.m.	7:50 a.m.	11:24 a.m.
Anchorage	Alaska	8:50 p.m.	10:08 a.m.	12:54 p.m.
Honolulu	Hawaii	10:04 p.m.	7:01 a.m.	11:11 a.m.

In all 12 cities the Moon has set by 10:04 p.m. on Dec. 13, and it rises after sunrise on Dec. 14. The Moon is therefore below the horizon for the whole night in every city listed. Times for other places differ; the USNO’s rise and set page takes any U.S. location.

How does the 2026 Moon compare with 2025?

At a point near 39.0 degrees north, 95.0 degrees west, the USNO lists the Moon on Dec. 13, 2025 as a 32% waning crescent that rose at 1:34 a.m. and set at 1:10 p.m. (Central Standard Time). On Dec. 13, 2026 at the same point it is a 19% waxing crescent that sets at 9:14 p.m. In 2026 the Moon stays down from 9:14 p.m. on Dec. 13 until moonrise at 11:17 a.m. on Dec. 14 at that point.

How to watch the Geminids: NASA’s tips

NASA’s viewing advice is short and applies to any location:

1. Find an area well away from city and street lights.
2. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing south.
3. Give your eyes about 30 minutes in the dark to adapt.
4. Dress for winter, and bring a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.
5. Plan for a long watch: NASA says the show lasts until dawn.

The AMS says the constellation Gemini is well placed from 10 p.m. local time onward. The printable below puts the list on one sheet.

Geminid dates to mark, Dec. 4 to Dec. 23

Date	What happens	Source
Fri., Dec. 4	Geminids become active	AMS, IMO, NASA
Tue., Dec. 8	New Moon at 7:52 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), which is 00:52 Universal Time (UT) on Dec. 9	USNO
Sun., Dec. 13 to Mon., Dec. 14	Peak night	AMS, IMO, NASA
Thu., Dec. 17	Last day of the active period	AMS, IMO, NASA
Wed., Dec. 23	Full Moon at 8:28 p.m. EST, which is 01:28 UT on Dec. 24	USNO

The USNO lists its phase times in UT. The EST conversions are Fresh Calendars’ arithmetic, five hours behind UT. For the full moon on Dec. 23 and what else is in the sky that month, see our Cold Moon, Geminids and solstice story and the December 2026 planets and night sky calendar. The solstice comes a week after the peak; our winter solstice 2026 story has the time and sunset times. Other dates can go on the printable yearly calendar.

Where do the Geminids come from?

NASA says the Geminids come from 3200 Phaethon, which it describes as an asteroid or possibly a “rock comet” that orbits the Sun once every 1.4 years. A Japanese mission to Phaethon is planned. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) said on May 28, 2026 that its launch is scheduled for 2028, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) lists the Phaethon flyby in fiscal year 2030 on its mission page.