Meteor shower
Ursids
A quiet solstice shower, circumpolar for northern skies.
Next peak Tuesday, December 22, 2026
T-00:00:00:00DHMS
Peak rate
~10 meteors/hr at peak
Active
17 Dec – 26 Dec
Radiant
Ursa Minor
Speed
33 km/s
Parent body
Comet 8P/Tuttle
Moon at peak
Peak-night moon 96% lit — washes out fainter meteors
About the Ursids
The Ursids round out the year around the December solstice, often overlooked because they follow hard on the heels of the brilliant Geminids. Rates are modest at about 10 an hour, though rare outbursts have been recorded.
The radiant near Kochab in Ursa Minor is circumpolar from northern latitudes, so the shower is visible all night long.
How to watch
- Visible all night from the Northern Hemisphere — rates rise towards dawn.
- A dark sky matters at these low rates.