The most spectacular meteor shower of 2025: Even with bad weather, Vietnamese people still have 3 ways to watch it.

The Hanoi Astronomical Society (HAS) announced that the Geminids meteor shower , considered the most spectacular meteor shower of 2025, is approaching. If weather is a concern, HAS suggests three options to ensure you don't miss the "king of meteor showers."

The Geminids are a famous meteor shower known for its vibrant colors.

ILLUSTRATION: AI

Accordingly, the Geminids meteor shower originates from the remnants of an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. Earth passes through this stream of material from December 4th to 20th each year and reaches its closest distance to the core on December 13th-14th this year, which is the peak night.

This is the largest and most anticipated meteor shower of the year. This year, the best time to observe the Geminids meteor shower is the night of December 13th and the early morning of December 14th. The late-rising thin crescent moon at the end of the month will not significantly hinder your observation. However, weather is the deciding factor in what you see, so if you are concerned about this, please consider the following options.

Option 1: Direct observation on the night of December 13-14.

If the weather forecast indicates that your viewing location will have a clear sky on the night of peak, choose that optimal time. This starts from Saturday evening, December 13th, until just before dawn on Sunday, December 14th.

In the early evening, as the radiant light rises above the horizon, the frequency will be lowest for the night, only about 10-20 streaks. Most of these meteor trails appear to just skim across the atmosphere rather than penetrating deep into it, which helps extend their lifespan to several seconds instead of the usual less than a second.

The best time to observe the Geminids meteor shower is this weekend, December 13-14.

PHOTO: THANH TUNG

As night falls, the radiant light in the Gemini constellation rises higher, and its frequency increases hourly, potentially reaching around 60 streaks by 10 PM and up to 120-150 streaks by 2 AM under ideal viewing conditions.

Most meteor trails appear in the eastern half of the sky, however, scattered meteors may still appear in other areas. The best time to observe is from midnight to 2 a.m., before the waning moon begins to appear at the end of the month.

From 2 AM onwards, the appearance of the moon combined with the sun setting in the western sky will cause the frequency of meteor showers you see to gradually decrease.

Option 2: Observe the nights before and during the peak, including December 11-12, December 12-13, and December 13-14.

If the weather at peak times remains uncertain, this is the best option. With this method, each night, you should dedicate time between 10 PM and 2 AM to observe.

Each night, set aside time between 10 PM and 2 AM to observe.

PHOTO: THANH TUNG

According to statistics, the Geminids meteor shower will reach about 75% of its peak on December 12-13 and 50% on December 11-12. However, the disadvantage is that the moon will also rise an hour earlier each day. Therefore, try to start early before the moon appears and overshadows the dazzling beauty of the meteor trails.

Option 3: Observe the nights during and after the peak, including December 13-14, December 14-15, and December 15-16.

This could be a backup option if the two above options don't work out for you. However, HAS does not recommend this option. Although the moon has now given way to its display, appearing only at dawn, the frequency of the Geminids decreases rapidly after the peak.

On the night of December 14-15, less than 24 hours after the peak, the frequency had decreased by at least 50% and will continue to decline rapidly in the following nights. It can be said that the "king" of meteor showers has now begun to give way to other smaller meteor showers at the end of December.