Technologies

2022 Geminid Meteor Shower Ramps Up This Weekend as Peak Approaches

Bright cosmic fireballs and even «Earth grazers» are on the calendar for the next week or so.

The Geminid meteor shower, typically the strongest meteor shower of the year, is starting to intensify ahead of its peak next week, and it’s already producing shooting stars and fireballs.

The Geminids have technically been active for a few weeks, but the shower will begin to increase significantly this weekend when it may become possible see around a dozen or more meteors per hour under ideal conditions, according to the American Meteor Society.

It’s a big windup to a far bigger crescendo, when the Geminids can deliver more than a hundred meteors per hour on peak nights. This is also the rare shower that doesn’t require you to wake up at atrocious hours before sunrise for the best viewing experience.

In 2022, the shower is active from Nov. 19 until Dec. 24, peaking on the evening of Dec. 13 into the following morning. The moon will be more than two-thirds full that night, which is a bit of a bummer but certainly not enough to discourage skywatchers from heading outside for a look. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere you’ll do better to go looking for Geminids later in the night, but fortunately it’s summer for you, requiring fewer warm layers than many watchers above the equator will want to bring.

The Geminids are the rare meteor shower that don’t seem to be traced to an active comet that makes intermittent visits to the inner solar system spaced out by several years or longer. Instead, the source seems to be the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, which astronomers think may be an extinct comet or new kind of object called a «rock comet,» according to NASA.

Whatever it is, the pieces of debris and detritus that have broken away from Phaethon over the years form dusty clouds that are more dense than what most comets leave behind. This explains why the Geminids are consistently one of the stronger annual showers. Each December we drift through the most dense part of this cloud and hundreds or thousands of bits roughly the size of a pebble burn up as they collide with our upper atmosphere.

For the best chance of catching as many Geminids as possible, the most important thing to do is to find an observing spot untainted by light pollution that has a broad view of the sky, which is hopefully cloudless. While it’s best to mark the peak night on your calendar, it’s possible to catch a few meteors an hour right now, especially as other showers like the Leonids and Taurids are still active.

If the moon is up, you can try to orient yourself so it’s at your back as much as possible.

Once you’ve got the ideal spot, lay back, relax and give your eyes time to adjust. Then just watch. Plan for at least an hour for the whole experience as there are always lulls in activity. On the peak night, if you’re lucky with ideal conditions, you might see up to 150 meteors in an hour.

Your best chance to see that many is probably around 2 a.m. when the radiant that the Geminids appear to radiate outward from (in the direction of the constellation Gemini, hence the name) is highest in the sky. That said, the radiant is above the horizon earlier in the evening as mentioned earlier, and these more friendly hours are also the best time to see a bright «earth-grazer,» which is nickname for a brilliant fireball that appears to flame out spectacularly just above the horizon.

However you do it, be sure to dress appropriately and bring refreshments so you aren’t tempted to head back inside and ruin your night vision. Happy spotting!

Technologies

iPhone 17 Preorders Spike and Overall Phone Sales Aren’t Slowing Down Despite Tariffs

Global smartphone shipments saw a notable increase in the third quarter of 2025. Plus, preorders for Apple’s new iPhone 17 beat out the iPhone 16.

Despite tariffs and market uncertainty, global smartphone shipments increased 2.6% in the third quarter of 2025, compared to the same time last year, according to the International Data Corporation. Additionally, preorders for the iPhone 17, which launched last month, outpaced last year’s iPhone 16.

These increased sales include premium phones like the latest iPhones and Samsung foldables, suggesting yet again that pricier phones still sell in periods of economic strain. It’s a remarkable achievement, says IDC senior research director Nabila Popal, citing shrewd financing options as the reason people keep buying these high-end phones, which cost anywhere from $800 to nearly $2,000.

«[Phone makers] have mastered the art of innovation not only in hardware and software to entice upgrades but also in removing purchase friction. They have flawlessly combined cutting-edge devices with innovative financing models and aggressive trade-in programs that make the upgrading decision a ‘no-brainer’ for consumers,» Popal said in an IDC press release.

Apple sold 58.6 million iPhones this quarter, an increase of 2.9% over the same period in 2024, with more preorders for the iPhone 17 series than its predecessor. But Samsung wasn’t far behind, with its Galaxy Z Fold 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 selling better than all of the company’s prior foldables. The company still reigns atop the phone market with 61.4 million phones sold, representing 19% of the market in the third quarter of this year — an increase of 6.3% from the same period last year. Meanwhile, Apple lands slightly behind Samsung with 18.2% market share this quarter.

The other phone makers trailing Apple and Samsung are, in order: Xiaomi, with 13.5% of the market; Transsion, with 9%; and Vivo with 8.9%. The remaining companies in the phones industry, from Chinese stalwarts like Oppo and Honor to Motorola and Google, make up the remaining 31.4% of the market for the quarter. All told, 322.7 million phones were sold, up from 314.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, according to IDC.

IDC’s findings for the third quarter continue the small but steady growth of phone sales over the year, including a modest 1% increase in the preceding three months — which includes the April deadline when President Donald Trump unveiled sweeping tariffs. In the second quarter, IDC cited midrange devices like Samsung’s Galaxy A36 and other phones that started incorporating AI. But even persistent tariffs haven’t slowed down people’s appetites for pricier phones in the third quarter.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Tuesday, Oct. 14

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 14.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s Mini Crossword has an odd vertical shape, with an extra Across clue, and only four Down clues. The clues are not terribly difficult, but one or two could be tricky. Read on if you need the answers. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.