A cosmic gift: Geminids meteor shower to peak over Switzerland this week
By Jan de Boer
This week, people across the country will be given a real treat in the lead-up to Christmas, with the Geminids meteor shower set to peak over Switzerland on December 13 and 14 2025. It is often described as the biggest shooting star event of the year, with up to 150 meteors set to cross the night sky every hour!
Swiss cities to be treated to Geminids meteor shower
A real treat of the astronomical calendar, the Geminids meteor shower is named after the Gemini constellation. The shooting stars arrive in the skies over Europe and Switzerland every December, and are sourced from the 3200 Phaethon asteroid. This means that unlike meteor showers created by comets (which are mostly ice and have a lower density), the Geminid shower is known for having a higher density of shooting stars.
Like the Perseids in August, the Geminids are considered one of the most impressive meteor showers to cross the night sky - at peak times, between 50 and 150 meteors can be seen every hour. They enter the Earth’s atmosphere at 35 kilometres per second - quite slow by meteor standards - which should make them much easier to see with the naked eye.
When can I see the Geminids meteor shower in Switzerland?
The peak of the Geminids meteor shower in Switzerland in 2025 is expected from December 13 to 14, with the best time to see the show set between 9 and 10pm on Saturday. Don't worry if you missed the peak though, as the meteor show should continue until December 16.
For those with an in-depth knowledge of the stars - or the SkyView app on their mobile phone - the meteors will radiate from around the Gemini constellation, which will emerge from the east and move across the sky until dawn.
The moon will not given off too much light pollution this year, as it won't have reached a full mean. This means that the sky should stay relatively dark and provide plenty of opportunity to see the meteor shower. Fingers crossed that the weather in Switzerland gifts us clear skies!
If you want to catch a glimpse of one of the world’s most impressive meteor showers, be sure to wrap up warm and head out to areas without any light pollution. This typically means as far away from cities as possible and towards forests, hills and, if you are lucky enough, mountains.
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Jan studied History at the University of York and Broadcast Journalism at the University of Sheffield. Though born in York, Jan has lived most of his life in Zurich and has worked as a journalist, writer and editor since 2016.
While he has plunged head-first back into life in Switzerland since returning to the country in 2020, he still enjoys a taste of home at pub quizzes and karaoke nights.Read more