The Year in Review: Cosmic Glory

The end of this year felt like the universe was closing out the year with a grand finale. It began with one of the most breathtaking celestial events of the year: the Geminid meteor shower. From December 4 to 20, with its peak on the 14th and 15th, the Geminids lit up the skies with up to 150 meteors per hour. Each streak of light was a piece of asteroid 3200 Phaethon burning up in Earth’s atmosphere — a reminder of how even the tiniest fragments can create moments of beauty. Even the bright glow of a near-full moon couldn’t overshadow the brilliance of this cosmic display. Watching those meteors must have felt like the universe was scribbling across the sky, sending silent messages to anyone willing to look up and listen.

As the Geminids faded, the Ursid meteor shower quietly took the stage. Peaking on December 22 under the dark backdrop of a waning moon, the Ursids brought a quieter kind of magic. With just 5 to 10 meteors per hour, it wasn’t the most dramatic display, but its subtle beauty felt intimate — like a private moment between Earth and the cosmos. Occasionally, a burst of activity caught skywatchers off guard, reminding us that the universe loves surprises.

And while the night skies were dazzling us, humanity was pushing the boundaries of solar exploration. On December 24, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe shattered records, flying within just 3.8 million miles of the Sun’s surface. Imagine that! A spacecraft venturing closer to our star than ever before, braving temperatures and radiation to deliver data on the mysteries of the solar wind and the Sun’s corona. It’s hard not to feel a sense of awe when you think about how far we’ve come — from ancient civilizations worshiping the Sun to modern technology daring to touch its edge.

This month the meteors reminded us of our planet’s journey through cosmic debris, and the Parker Solar Probe showed us that no frontier is too distant for human curiosity. It’s moments like these that make you stop and marvel — not just at the universe but at our relentless desire to understand it.