The Geminid meteor shower put on a dazzling show this week, delighting skywatchers worldwide.
The Geminids are one of the most prolific showers of the year, known for bright, colorful meteors and impressive hourly rates. This year, despite the almost full moon, they lived up to their reputation.
We've rounded up some of the most jaw-dropping Geminid photos from around the world, showcasing the true beauty of this famous shower. So sit back, relax, and immerse yourself in the wonder of the Geminid meteor shower 2024.
Keep up to date with what you can see tonight with our night sky live blog.
If you want more advice on how to photograph the Geminids, check out our how to photograph meteors and meteor showers guide. And if you need imaging gear, consider our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Osama Fathi captured this stunning photograph of the Geminid meteor shower from Egypt's Black Desert on Dec. 8. Jupiter shines brightly amongst the meteors.
"Despite the meteor shower coinciding with a full moon this year, I managed to capture this image before its peak, successfully recording several meteors despite the presence of some light clouds that added an artistic touch to the light," Fathi told Space.com in an email.
"The old mudbrick dovecote in the image adds an authentic, traditional feel and represents a beautiful contrast between earth and sky," Fathi continued.
In Hawaii, astronomers with Japan's Subaru Telescope atop Maunakea in captured a stunning image of more than 100 Geminid meteors streaking across star trails in a long-exposure view from the observatory's camera.
"The Subaru-Asahi Star Camera at the Subaru Telescope Facility, Maunakea, Hawai‘i, captured over 150 meteors in one hour from 1:10 to 2:10 a.m. on December 13, 2024 (HST) despite the bright moonlight, as shown in this summary picture," officials with the observatory said on X, formerly Twitter, while sharing the photo. "Most meteors belong to Geminids."
Photographer Mert Alper Dervis captured a bright Geminid streaking through the sky above Lake Simcoe, Ontario in Canada on Dec. 14. The almost full moon illuminates the serene landscape.
Daichi Fujii, the curator of the Hiratsuka City Museum in Japan, captured an incredible Geminid meteor streaking across the skies above Mt. Fuji.
"The clouds are gradually clearing over both Mt. Fuji and Hiratsuka, and many meteors are streaming behind the thin clouds," Fujii wrote in a post on X. (The post was translated to English on X.)
"This is a photo of a Geminid meteor shower that occurred at 1:13:40 on December 14, 2024, captured by a camera looking north from Mt. Fuji. The moonlight is brightly illuminating the clouds over Mt. Fuji," Fujii continued.
富士も平塚も少しずつ雲が取れ始め、薄雲の向こうをたくさんの流星が流れています。2024年12月14日1時13分40秒に流れたふたご座流星群の流星を、富士から北向きのカメラで捉えた様子です。月の光が富士山の笠雲を明るく照らしています。 pic.twitter.com/pQO9Ea0qhBDecember 13, 2024
Fujii recently also captured impressive footage of potential Geminid meteors striking the moon.
Read more: Meteor strikes on the moon! Astronomer captures possible Geminid lunar impacts (videos)
During the peak of the Geminid meteor shower, Fujii captured lots of meteors during the wee hours.
"Here are the meteors that were seen from Mt. Fuji (northwest, northeast, east, south) between 3:00 and 5:30 on December 14, 2024. There was also a bean-throwing phenomenon, where multiple meteors were seen almost simultaneously, and a long-path meteor that seemed like it would allow you to recite your wish three times, making for a lively scene. It looks like we'll have fun again tonight." Fujii wrote in a post on X. (The post was translated to English on X.)
ふたご座流星群がピークを迎え、今朝はたくさんの流星が流れました。2024年12月14日3時から5時半頃に流れた流星を、富士から捉えた様子(北西、北東、東、南)です。複数の流星がほぼ同時に流れる豆まき現象や、お願い事を3回唱えられそうな長経路流星も出現し、にぎやかでした。今夜も楽しめそうです。 pic.twitter.com/mc2bDJ7raTDecember 13, 2024
Another user on X posted some impressive footage of Geminid meteors overnight.
"I captured 14 meteors overnight. Mostly Geminids. The Geminid meteor shower was very active," EricTheCat wrote in a post on X.
Meteors last night through this morning.I captured 14 meteors overnight. Mostly Geminids. The Geminid meteor shower was very active. pic.twitter.com/qu3iLhgbuPDecember 13, 2024
In North Yorkshire of the United Kingdom, amateur astronomer Steve "Sirius" Brown used the Gemind meteor shower as a scavenger hunt of sorts for other night sky objects in photos he managed to capture of the shooting stars from their namesake Gemini constellation.
"Another Geminid captured from this morning. This one caught between Gemini and Cancer," Brown wrote in a post on X, referencing the constellations. "The bright couple of stars to the right are Pollux and Castor in Gemini. The bright 'star' to the left of the meteor is the planet Mars."
Another #Geminid captured from this morning. This one caught between Gemini and Cancer. The bright couple of stars to the right are Pollux and Castor in Gemini. The bright 'star' to the left of the meteor is the planet Mars. #Astronomy #Geminids #Astrophotography pic.twitter.com/h0NpS454dQDecember 14, 2024
If you missed the Geminid meteor shower this year, but want tomake sure you catch the bext one, our guide to the best meteor showers of the year can help.
Editor's note: If you snap a stunning photo or video of the Geminid meteor shower or any other night sky view that you would like to share with Space.com for a possible story or gallery, you can send images and comments to: spacephotos@space.com.
