Meteor Showers – Events this year


“Shooting star”  –  known as Meteor

Recommend strong meteor showings for this month

January:Quadrantids  (3rd thru 4th January)
April:Lyrids  (22nd April)
May:Eta Aquarids  (5th thru 6th May)
June:Arietids  (7th June)
July:Southern Delta Aquariids  (28th July)
August:Perseids  (11th thru 12th August)
October:Orionids  (21st October)
December:Geminids  (14th December)
Ursids  (22nd December)

Quadrantids (3rd thru 4th January)

  • Beginning to ending date:  28th December to 12th January
  • Peak Date: 3rd thru 4th January
  • Rating: Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 40+ per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 15h 28m / DEC: +50°  (Radiant low at peak in UK.)
  • Degrees: 232º
  • Comet: Comet Thatcher
  • Note: Blue & yellow striking / diffuse radiant expect at peak Strong in 1992 / favourable.

Lyrids (22nd April)

  • Beginning to ending date: 15th April to 28th May
  • Peak Date: 22nd April
  • Rating: Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 15 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 18h 08m / DEC: +32°
  • Degrees: 272º  (Face:- West)
  • Comet: Comet Thatcher
  • Note: Normally rather activity, but fine display in 1803, 1922 & 1982 / Quite favourable.

Eta Aquarids (5th thru 6th May)

  • Beginning to ending date: 19th April to 28th May
  • Peak Date: 5th thru 6th May
  • Rating: Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 60 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 22h 20m / DEC: -01°
  • Degrees: 335º  (Face:- North)
  • Comet: Comet 1P/Halley
  • Note: Fine southern shower / poorly seen from the UK.

Arietids (7th June)

  • Beginning to ending date: 22nd May to 22nd July
  • Peak Date: 7th June
  • Rating: Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 54 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 02h 24m / DEC: +24°
  • Degrees: 241º (Face: Southwest)
  • Comet: 96P/Machholz
  • Note: So close to the Sun when these showers reach their peak.

Southern Delta Aquariids (28th July)

  • Beginning to ending date: 12th July to 19th August
  • Peak Date: 28th July
  • Rating: Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 20 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 22h 36m / DEC: -16°
  • Degrees: 342º (Face:- North)
  • Comet: n/a
  • Note: Meteors tend to be faint / Favourable.

Perseids (11th thru 12th August)

  • Beginning to ending date: 17th July to 24th August
  • Peak Date: 11th thru 12th August
  • Rating: Very strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 90 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 03h 13m / DEC: +58°
  • Degrees: 048º (Face: Northeast)
  • Comet: Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle
  • Note: Rich shower of fast meteors / High proportion of bright events leaving trains.

Orionids (21st October)

  • Beginning to ending date: 2nd October to 7th November
  • Peak Date: 21st October
  • Rating: Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 20 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 06h 24m / DEC: +15°
  • Degrees: 096º  (Face: East)
  • Comet: Comet 1P/Halley
  • Note: Fast meteors, many with trains / Good in 2006.

Geminids (14th December)

  • Beginning to ending date: 12th to 16th December
  • Peak Date: 14th December
  • Rating: Very Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 120 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 07h 32m / DEC: +33°
  • Degrees: 138º (Face: Southeast)
  • Comet: Minor planet 3200 Pharthon

Note: Richest of the annual showers, with slow meteor and a good bright events

Ursids (22nd December)

  • Beginning to ending date: 17th to 26th December
  • Peak Date: 22nd December
  • Rating: Strong
  • Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR): around 10 per hour
  • Radiant Position: RA: 14h 28m / DEC: +78°
  • Degrees: 217º (Face: Southwest)
  • Comet: Comet 8P/Tuttle
  • Note: Under-observed shower which had produced outbursts in 1945, 1982 and 1986.

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Meteor Keywords

  • A meteor or “shooting star” is the visible streak of light from a meteoroid, heated and glowing from entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
  • Most meteoroids that cause meteors are about the size of a pebble or less.
  • Meteors become visible between about 30 – 70 miles above the Earth.
  • Meteors may occur in showers, which arise when the Earth passes through a stream of debris left by a comet.

Fireball 

  • A fireball is a brighter-than-usual meteor as “a meteor brighter than any of the planets”
  • Fireballs reaching magnitude -14 or brighter are called bolides. (See the Space.com – video.)
  • Rarely to be seen.

Keys

  • Beginning & ending date:  Date in which the Meteor Showers will begin and end.
  • Peak Date: Date in which the Meteor Shower should appear most active as best visible.
  • Rating: Rough estimate of possibility of how good the Meteor Shower might be.
  • Zenith Hourly Rate: Approximate number of meteors (shooting star) that will be visible per hour.
  • Radiant Position: Mark the location in the sky.
  • Degrees: Directions correspond to the following degrees by a compass.
  • Comet:  Earth passes through a stream of debris left by which comet? (parent object.)
  • Note: Something to say.

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Table of Contents

This list above of meteor streams and peak activity times is based on data from the International Meteor Organization.

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