ANNUAL METEOR SHOWERS

1. Jan. 4 Quadrantids: Radiant--Bootes. Very short lived shower, less that one day. Variable rate, but generally around 60 per hour. Speed 41 kps and bluish color.

2. Jan. 16 Delta Cancrids: Radiant--just west of Beehive. Minor shower, rate about 4 per hour. Very swift.

3. Jan. 18 Coma Berenicids: Radiant--near Coma star cluster. Only one or two per hour, but among fastest meteors known--65 kps.

4. Feb. 26 Delta Leonids: Radiant--midway in Leo's back. Feb. 5 to Mar. 19 with peak in late Feb. 5 per hour at 24 kps.

5. Mar. 16 Corona-Australids: Radiant--16 hr 20 min, -48 deg. 5 to 7 per hour from Mar. 14 to Mar. 18.

6. Mar. 22 Camelopardalids: No definite peak, with only one per hour. Slowest meteors at 7 kps.

7. Mar. 22 March Geminids: Discovered in 1973 and confirmed in 1975. Rate generally about 40 per hour. Seem to be very slow meteors.

8. Apr. 4 Kappa Serpentids: Radiant--near Corona Borealis . 4 or 5 per hour from Apr. 1 to 7.

9. Apr. 7 Delta Draconids: Radiant--near Cepheus border. From Mar. 28 to Apr. 7. Slow meteors at about 5 per hour.

10. Apr. 10 Virginids: Radiant-- near Gamma in bowl of Virgo. 20 per hour.

11. Apr. 15 April Fireballs: Radiant-- between The Water Jar and Scutum, very erratic. From April 15 to 30 many bright bolides from Southeastern sky.

12. Apr. 17 Sigma Leonids: Radiant-- at Leo Virgo border, actually has moved into Virgo in recent years. Weak shower of 1 to 2 per hour.

13. Apr. 22 Lyrids: Radiant-- near Vega. 15 per hour, bright and long lasting meteors. From Comet Thatcher.

14. April 25 Mu Virginids: Radiant--near Libra. 7 to 10 per hour of medium speed meteors.

15. Apr. 28 Alpha Bootids: Radiant-- near Arcturus. From Apr. 14 to May 13. Slow meteors with fine trails.

16. May 1 Phi Bootids: Radiant--near Hercules. From Apr. 16 to May 12. 6 per hour.

17. May 3 Alpha Scorpiids: Radiant-- Near Antares. From Apr. 16 to May 9.

18. May 4 Eta Aquarids: Radiant-- near Water Jar. From Apr. 21 to May 12. 21 per hour, yellow with bright trails. Comet Halley debris.

19. June 3 Tau Herculids: Radiant--near Corona Borealis. About a month long, 15 per hour max, most quite faint.

20. June 5 Scorpiids: Radiant--near Ophiuchus. 20 per hour with some fireballs.

21. June 7 Arietids: About 30 per hour. Slow moving with some fireballs.

22. June 13 Ophiuchids: Radiant-- near Scorpius. Only 3 per hour but fast moving bolides are common. Duration--25 days

23. June 16 June Lyrids: Radiant--near Vega. Another part of May Lyrid meteor stream. 15 per hour, faint blue meteors.

24. June 20 Ophiuchids: Radiant-- near Sagitarrius. Rate varies from 8 to 20, with occaisionally many more.

25. June 30 June Draconids: Radiant--near handle of Big Dipper. Rate varies from 10 to 100 per hour. Pons-Winnecke Comet is parent.

26. July 28 Delta Aquarids: Radiant--near Capricornus. 25 per hour, slow (24 kps) with yellow trails. Duration--40 days

27. July 30 Capricornids: Radiant--near Aquarius. Tough to tell these from Delta Aquarids. 10 to 35 per hour with bolides.

28. Aug 10 Perseids: Radiant--near Double cluster. 50 to 100 per hour, yellow with trails and bolides. The best modern dependable shower. Duration--5 days.

29. Aug 20 Kappa Cygnids: Radiant--near Deneb. 12 per hour with many fireballs. Duration--15 days.

30. Aug 31 Andromedids: Radiant-- near Cassiopeia. Occaisionally spectacular, usually 20 per hour. Some red fireballs with trails. Biela's Comet parent.

31. Sept 23 Alpha Aurigids: Radiant-- near Capella. 12 per hour, fast with trails.

32. Oct 7 Piscids: Radiant--near Aries. 15 per hour at 28 kps.

33. Oct 9 Draconids: Raidiant--near Hercules. Spectacular when comet Giacobinni-Zinner passes near Earth. 200 per hour when comet is close is not uncommon, 1000 per hour sometimes.

34. Oct 20 Orionids: Radiant--near Taurus. 30 per hour, fast (67 kps) often in colors with long trails. Duration--8 days

35. Nov. 5 Taurids: Radiant--near Pleaides. 10 per hour with many fireballs. Debris from comet Encke. Duration--45 days.

36. Nov. 12 Pegasids: Radiant--Near Square. from Oct. 10 to late Nov., 10 per hour, used to be spectacular.

37. Nov 17 Leonids: Radiant--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.

38. Dec. 10 Monocerids: Radiant-- near Gemini. 12 per hour.

39. Dec. 11 Sigma Hydrids: Radiant--near Head. 12 per hour, fast.

40. Dec. 14 Geminids: Radiant--near Castor. 60 per hour, many bright, white but few trails. Icarus, the Earth-crossing astroid seems to be the parent. Duration--6 days.

41. Dec. 14 Leo Minorids: 10 per hour, somewhat faint. Discovered by amateurs in 1971.

42. Dec. 20 Delta Arietids: 12 per hour, must view in early evening, before radiant sets.

43. Dec. 22 Ursids: Radiant--Little Dipper Bowl. Medium speed, 20 per hour, many with bright trails. Duration--2 days