Holiday stargazing: meteor showers and supermoons ahead

· DW

One of the biggest meteor showers of the year will peak in mid-December, ahead of an early January supermoon.

Space enthusiasts and amateur astronomers will have plenty of action to enjoy throughout 2026, with supermoons, solar eclipses and meteor showers across the night skies.

But there’s still time to catch the final meteor showers of 2025.

The Geminids and Ursids are still showering

During December, it's possible to see multiple meteors each hour.

You’ll want to be away from bright lights to see them (and wear warm clothes, depending on where in the world you’re watching from).

The Geminids are the remains of an asteroid called 3200 Phaethon. They are visible across most inhabited parts of the world, appearing near the constellation Gemini in the night sky.

Peaking on December 14, with up to 120 visible meteors each hour, the Geminids continue until December 20. 

  • When to watch: December 4-20
  • Peak December 14
  • Where to watch: Everywhere, except Antarctica
  • Look for the star Castor in the constellation Gemini.

The Ursids, also known as the Little Bear or Little Dipper, are mostly visible from the Northern Hemisphere. They radiate near the star Ursa Minor Beta in the constellation of Ursa Minor. It is possible to see them between December 17-26, 2025, but with only about a dozen visible each hour. 

  • When to watch: December 17-26
  • Peak December 22
  • Where to watch: Northern Hemisphere
  • Look for the star Ursa Minor beta in the constellation Ursa Minor.

When is the first supermoon in 2026?

We can expect to see three supermoons in 2026, with the first occurring just days into the New Year — the Wolf Moon on January 3.

Then, there will be a long wait until November 24 for a Super Beaver Moon, followed by a Super Cold Moon on December 24.

Supermoons occur when the moon nears its perigee (its closest approach to the Earth). It can appear up to 10% larger and much brighter than usual. 

What’s in a full moon’s name?

There's a full moon every month, and each has  a descriptive name that relates to the time of year it occurs. The names are mainly based on North American traditions — both indigenous and colonial — but have become common, globally. 

The 13 full moons for 2026 are:

  • January 3: Super Wolf Moon
  • February 1: Snow Moon
  • March 3: Worm Moon
  • April 2: Pink Moon
  • May 1: Flower Moon
  • May 31: Blue Moon
  • June 30: Strawberry Moon
  • July 29: Buck Moon
  • August 28: Sturgeon Moon
  • September 26: Corn or Harvest Moon
  • October 26: Hunter Moon
  • November 24: Super Beaver Moon
  • December 24: Super Cold Moon

Annual meteor showers visible in 2026

There will be plenty to see in the night sky next year, including about a dozen meteor showers.

  • Quadrantids, visible December 28, 2025, until January 12, peaking on January 4 near the constellation Boötes.
  • Lyrids, visible April 16-25, peaking on April 22, near the constellation Lyra.
  • Eta Aquariids, visible April 19 until May 28, peaking May 6, near the star Eta Aquarius in the constellation Aquarius.
  • Delta Aquariids, visible July 12 until August 23, peaking July 30, near the star Delta Aquarius.
  • Perseids, visible July 17 until August 24, peaking August 13, near the constellation Perseus.
  • Draconids, visible October 6-10, peaking October 9, near the constellation Draco. 
  • Orionids, visible October 2 until November 7, peaking October 21, near the constellation Orion.
  • Taurids, visible September 10 until November 20 in the southern hemisphere, October 20 until December 10 in the northern hemisphere, near the constellation Taurus.
  • Leonids, visible November 6-30, peaking November 18, near the constellation Leo.
  • Geminids, visible December 4-20, peaking December 14, near the constellation Gemini.
  • Ursids, visible December 17-26, peaking December 22, near the constellation Ursa Minor.

Two solar eclipses in 2026

An annular solar eclipse will take place on February 17, across Antarctica, so will sadly be missed by most of the planet (except for scientists at research stations and penguins).

Those in the Patagonia region of Chile and Argentina (south of El Calafate), South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Madagascar, and the southern regions of Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania, will only see a partial eclipse.

A total solar eclipse will occur on August 12, visible in Spain, Iceland, Greenland and northern Russia. A partial eclipse will be visible in North America, North and West Africa, the UK, Ireland, western and central Europe.

Edited by: Zulfikar Abbany