Watching the Geminid meteor shower peak tonight from the comfort of your home is easy with this free livestream.
2025 Geminid Meteor Shower: online observation – December 13, 2025 – YouTube
Watch here: https://youtu.be/Ss4cq9lzG8c
You can tune in to live views of the Geminid meteor shower as it reaches its peak overnight on December 13–14, thanks to a free livestream from the Virtual Telescope Project. The annual shower happens when Earth passes through the debris-filled orbit of the wandering asteroid (3200) Phaethon.
If clouds block your view or you’re in the southern hemisphere where the shower isn’t visible, the Virtual Telescope Project’s livestream ensures you won’t miss one of the year’s most spectacular natural light shows.
The stream runs until dawn and features imagery from the organization’s wide-angle all-sky camera in Manciano, Italy. According to Virtual Telescope Project founder Gianluca Masi, the site is among the darkest sky regions in the country.
How to spot Geminids
Look for Geminid meteors radiating from a point near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini. Castor rises above the eastern horizon a few hours after sunset and remains visible throughout the night, so Geminid shooting stars can be observed from mid-evening until dawn. This year, moonlight isn’t a major obstacle, though a 26% illuminated waning crescent moon rises an hour or two after midnight, which may complicate viewing in the pre-dawn hours.
What causes shooting stars
Shooting stars appear when particles shed by comets or asteroids enter Earth’s atmosphere and vaporize in brief bursts of light. If you’d like to capture a meteor photograph yourself, explore Space.com’s guide to photographing meteor showers, plus our recommendations for the best cameras and lenses for night-sky imaging.
Editor's note
If you photograph a shooting star and want to share your astrophotography with Space.com readers, please send your photo(s), along with your name and location, to spacephotos@space.com.
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About the author
Anthony Wood joined Space.com in April 2025 after contributing to IGN, New Atlas, and Gizmodo. He loves the night sky, science, and space exploration—and he’s excited for the day astronauts return to the Moon.
Would you prefer this recap to emphasize practical viewing tips, or to lean more into the science behind the Geminids and the Phaethon connection?
