Is this the year we get a massive Monocerotids outburst? The 2015 peak arrives at 4:25 UT, good for Europe. In 1995, this storm maxed out at 400+ meteors per hour… The object responsible for this unpredictable storm — probably a long period comet — has not yet been identified.
Geminids meteors are *bright*, and are often about as good in the evening as in the hours between midnight and dawn. The Geminids spans from December 7th through the 17th, but will peak overnight on the 13th with up to 120 sightings per hour. The meteors will appear multicolored, which gives an added bonus to the already spectacular show. In 2015, the slender waxing crescent moon will set soon after the sun, providing a wonderful cover of darkness for the Geminid meteor shower. Don’t miss it! Your best bet is to watch on December 12-13 and 13-14, from mid-evening (9 to 10 p.m.) until dawn. These meteors will appear to originate from the Gemini constellation.
The winter solstice is the shortest day of the year, respectively, in the sense that the length of time elapsed between sunrise and sunset on this day is a minimum for the year. Of course, daylight saving time means that the first Sunday in April has 23 hours and the last Sunday in October has 25 hours, but these human meddlings with the calendar and do not correspond to the actual number of daylight hours.
http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/astronomy/WinterSolstice.html
The Quadrantids meteor shower can yield as many as 40 meteors per hour, radiating from the constellation Bootes. Visibility will be reduced on account of a bright second quarter Moon, but you may be able to spot a few during the night… Begin the new year by looking up!