The final meteor shower of 2025 will dazzle MS skies soon. Here’s when, how to watch
The last celestial event of 2025 is set to peak just before Christmas, sending flickers of light across the night sky.
The Ursid meteor shower — often overlooked because of the busy holiday season — will peak on the night of Dec. 21 into Dec. 22, according to EarthSky.
Here’s what to know about the event and how to watch it.
What is the Ursid meteor shower?
A relatively new meteor shower occurring annually around the winter solstice, the Ursids are a minor meteor shower with about five to 10 visible meteors per hour, according to EarthSky and NASA.
The name of the meteor shower comes from Ursa Minor, also known as the Little Dipper, which is its point of origin, experts said.
The event is most visible from the Northern Hemisphere, although some Ursids could be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, according to EarthSky.
What will the weather be like during the Ursid meteor shower?
While the Ursids happen from Dec. 13 to 24, the predicted peak is 11 UTC, or 6 a.m. CST, on Dec. 22, experts at EarthSky said.
Mississippians are among the locations in the United States that are expected to have the clearest skies during the event’s peak, according to Jonathan Belles, senior digital meteorologist at The Weather Channel.
There is a chance of afternoon showers Dec. 21 into the night, but it should clear up before the peak in the morning, according to the National Weather Service’s weather forecast.
How to see the Ursid meteor shower in Mississippi
Here are some tips for seeing the event in Mississippi, according to NASA:
- Dress warmly and bring extra blankets
- Get to a dark spot
- Allow for time for your eyes to adjust to the sky
- Lie down and watch the whole sky
This story was originally published December 20, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
