The Ursids are a yearly meteor shower that occurs when Earth passes through debris shed by Comet 8P/Tuttle, a short-period comet that circles the Sun approximately every 13.5 years.

Although the Ursids are active from Dec. 13 through Dec. 26, the peak night coincides with the winter solstice, which occurs at 10:03 a.m. EST on Dec. 21. Though the two events are totally unrelated, the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere is a great time to look for meteors, and to photograph them if you're up for the challenge.

You can tune in to see live views of the Geminid meteor shower as it peaks overnight on Dec. 13-14, thanks to a free livestream hosted by the Virtual Telescope Project. The annual shower occurs as Earth passes through the debris-strewn orbit of the ...

From dazzling meteor showers to dramatic eclipses visible across parts of the world, the year ahead offers many opportunities to witness life-changing celestial events. Here are the astronomical events you won’t want to miss in 2026.