|
Annual Meteor Showers
|
| Peak Date |
Name of Shower |
Location of Radiant |
Description |
| Jan 4 |
Quadrantids |
Bootes |
Very short lived shower, less that one day. Variable rate, but generally around 60 per hour. Speed 41 kps and bluish color. |
| Jan 16 |
Delta Cancrids |
West of Beehive. |
Minor shower, rate about 4 per hour. Very swift. |
| Jan 18 |
Coma Berenicids |
Near Coma star cluster |
Only one or two per hour, but among fastest meteors known (65 kps). |
| Feb 26 |
Delta Leonids |
Midway in Leo's back |
Feb. 5 to Mar. 19 with peak in late Feb. 5 per hour at 24 kps. |
| Mar 16 |
Corona-Australids |
16 hr 20 min, -48 deg. |
5 to 7 per hour from Mar. 14 to Mar. 18. |
| Mar 22 |
Camelopardalids |
-- |
No definite peak, with only one per hour. Slowest meteors at 7 kps. |
| Mar 22 |
March Geminids |
-- |
Discovered in 1973 and confirmed in 1975. Rate generally about 40 per hour. Seem to be very slow meteors. |
| Apr 4 |
Kappa Serpentids |
Near Corona Borealis |
4 or 5 per hour from Apr 1 to 7. |
| Apr 7 |
Delta Draconids |
Near Cepheus border |
From Mar. 28 to Apr. 7. Slow meteors at about 5 per hour. |
| Apr 10 |
Virginids |
Near Gamma in bowl of Virgo |
20 per hour. |
| Apr 15 |
April Fireballs |
Between The Water Jar and Scutum |
very erratic. From April 15 to 30 many bright bolides from Southeastern sky. |
| Apr 17 |
Sigma Leonids |
At Leo Virgo border |
Actually has moved into Virgo in recent years. Weak shower of 1 to 2 per hour. |
| Apr 22 |
Lyrids |
Near Vega |
15 per hour, bright and long lasting meteors. From Comet Thatcher. |
| Apr 25 |
Mu Virginids |
Near Libra |
7 to 10 per hour of medium speed meteors. |
| Apr 28 |
Alpha Bootids |
Near Arcturus |
From Apr. 14 to May 13. Slow meteors with fine trails. |
| May 1 |
Phi Bootids |
Near Hercules |
From Apr. 16 to May 12. 6 per hour. |
| May 3 |
Alpha Scorpiids |
Near Antares |
From Apr. 16 to May 9. |
| May 4 |
Eta Aquarids |
Near Water Jar |
From Apr. 21 to May 12. 21 per hour, yellow with bright trails. Comet Halley debris. |
| Jun 3 |
Tau Herculids |
Near Corona Borealis |
About a month long, 15 per hour max, most quite faint. |
| Jun 5 |
Scorpiids |
Near Ophiuchus |
20 per hour with some fireballs. |
| Jun 7 |
Arietids |
-- |
About 30 per hour. Slow moving with some fireballs. |
| Jun 13 |
Ophiuchids |
Near Scorpius |
Only 3 per hour but fast moving bolides are common. Duration--25 days |
| Jun 16 |
June Lyrids |
Near Vega |
Another part of May Lyrid meteor stream. 15 per hour, faint blue meteors. |
| Jun 20 |
Ophiuchids |
Near Sagitarrius |
Rate varies from 8 to 20, with occasionally many more. |
| Jun 30 |
June Draconids |
Near handle of Big Dipper |
Rate varies from 10 to 100 per hour. Pons-Winnecke Comet is parent. |
| Jul 28 |
Delta Aquarids |
Near Capricornus |
25 per hour, slow (24 kps) with yellow trails. Duration: 40 days |
| Jul 30 |
Capricornids |
Near Aquarius |
Tough to tell these from Delta Aquarids. 10 to 35 per hour with bolides. |
| Aug 10 |
Perseids |
Near Double cluster |
50 to 100 per hour, yellow with trails and bolides. The best modern dependable shower. Duration: 5 days. |
| Aug 20 |
Kappa Cygnids |
Near Deneb |
12 per hour with many fireballs. Duration--15 days. |
| Aug 31 |
Andromedids |
Near Cassiopeia |
Occasionally spectacular. Usually 20 per hour. Some red fireballs. Biela's Comet parent. |
| Sep 23 |
Alpha Aurigids |
Near Capella |
12 per hour, fast with trails. |
| Oct 7 |
Piscids |
Near Aries |
15 per hour at 28 kps. |
| Oct 9 |
Draconids |
Near Hercules |
Spectacular when comet Giacobinni-Zinner passes near Earth. 200 per hour when comet is close is not uncommon, 1000 per hour sometimes. |
| Oct 20 |
Orionids |
Near Taurus |
30 per hour, fast (67 kps) often in colors with long trails. Duration: 8 days. |
| Nov 5 |
Taurids |
Near Pleaides |
10 per hour with many fireballs. Debris from comet Encke. Duration: 45 days. |
| Nov 12 |
Pegasids |
Near Square |
from Oct. 10 to late Nov., 10 per hour, used to be spectacular. |
| Nov 17 |
Leonids |
near Sickle |
Most spectacular of modern showers. 1966 saw 500,000 per hour (140 per second). Comet Temple--Tuttle is parent. 20 per hour between 33 year shows, fastest known at 71 kps. Duration: 4 days. |
| Dec 10 |
Monocerids |
Near Gemini |
12 per hour |
| Dec 11 |
Sigma Hydrids |
Near Head |
12 per hour, fast |
| Dec 14 |
Geminids |
Near Castor |
60 per hour, many bright, white but few trails. Icarus, the Earth-crossing astroid seems to be the parent. Duration: 6 days. |
| Dec 14 |
Leo Minorids |
-- |
10 per hour, somewhat faint. Discovered by amateurs in 1971. |
| Dec 20 |
Delta Arietids |
-- |
12 per hour, must view in early evening, before radiant sets. |
| Dec 22 |
Ursids |
Little Dipper Bowl |
Medium speed, 20 per hour, many with bright trails. Duration: 2 days. |