Annual Meteor Showers

Quadrantids

Parent Body: 2003 EH1
Radiant Constellation: Boötes
Radiant RA: 15h 28m
Radiant Dec: +50°
Start Date: 12/28
Peak Date: 01/03
End Date: 01/12
Meteor Velocity: 41 km/s
Hourly Rate: 120
The Quadrantid meteor shower is one of the strongest meteor showers of the year. The radiant point of this shower is an area inside the constellation Boötes, not far from the Big Dipper. The best observations are possible from countries with high northern latitudes, such as Canada, Finland, Sweden, and Norway. The metoer shower is virtually unavailable for observers in the Southern Hemisphere. The Quadrantids generally begin on December 28 and end on January 7, with maximum generally occurring during the morning hours of January 3/4. The Quadrantids are barely detectable on the beginning and ending dates, but observers in the Northern Hemisphere can see from 10 to around 60 meteors per hour at maximum. The maximum only lasts for a few hours.

Lyrids

Parent Body: C/1861 G1 (Thatcher)
Radiant Constellation: Lyra
Radiant RA: 18h 08m
Radiant Dec: +32°
Start Date: 04/16
Peak Date: 04/22
End Date: 04/25
Meteor Velocity: 48 km/s
Hourly Rate: 18
The Lyrid meteor shower, also known as the April Lyrids, is one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records dating back more than 2,600 years. The Lyrids are an annual event that peaks around April 22 and the early morning of April 23 each year. Lyrid meteors can typically be seen from April 16 to April 25. The parent body of the meteor shower is the comet C/1861 G1, also known as Comet Thatcher. When the meteor shower peaks, observers can usually see between 5 and 20 Lyrid meteors per hour.

Pi Puppids

Parent Body: 26P/Grigg-Skjellerup
Radiant Constellation: Puppis
Radiant RA: 7h 28m
Radiant Dec: -43°
Start Date: 04/18
Peak Date: 04/23
End Date: 04/25
Meteor Velocity:
Hourly Rate: 18-42
Theh Pi Puppids meteor stream is associated with periodic comet Grigg-Skjellerup and is very new, as is evidenced by the near total lack of activity in years when the comet is not at perihelion. This meteor shower is only visible to southern observers.

Eta Aquariids

Parent Body: Halley's Comet
Radiant Constellation: Aquarius
Radiant RA: 22h 20m
Radiant Dec: -01°
Start Date: 04/19
Peak Date: 05/06
End Date: 05/28
Meteor Velocity: 66 km/s
Hourly Rate: 55
Unlike most major annual meteor showers, there is no sharp peak for Eta Aquariids shower, but rather a plateau of good rates that last approximately one week centered on May 7. This meteor shower seems stronger when viewed from the Southern tropics. The meteors we currently see as members of the Eta Aquariid shower separated from Halley

Alpha Capricornids

Parent Body: 169P/NEAT
Radiant Constellation: Capricornus
Radiant RA: 20h 28m
Radiant Dec: -10.2°
Start Date: 07/15
Peak Date: 07/29
End Date: 08/10
Meteor Velocity: 24 km/s
Hourly Rate: 5
Alpha Capricornids is a meteor shower discovered by Hungarian astronomer Miklos von Konkoly-Thege in 1871. This shower has infrequent but relatively bright meteors, with some fireballs. Parent body is comet 169P/NEAT (2002 EX12). This shower is not very strong and rarely produces in excess of five shower members per hour.

Perseids

Parent Body: Comet Swift
Radiant Constellation: Perseus
Radiant RA: 03h 04m
Radiant Dec: +58°
Start Date: 07/17
Peak Date: 08/13
End Date: 08/24
Meteor Velocity: 58 km/s
Hourly Rate: 100
The Perseids is a popular meteor shower, with meteors seen all across the sky; however, because of the shower's radiant in the constellation of Perseus, the Perseids are primarily visible in the Northern Hemisphere. The shower is visible from mid-July each year, with the peak in activity between 9 and 14 August, depending on the particular location of the stream. During the peak, the rate of meteors reaches 60 or more per hour. The Persesids are particles released from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle during its numerous visits to the inner solar system.

Orionids

Parent Body: 1P/Halley
Radiant Constellation: Orion
Radiant RA: 06h 24m
Radiant Dec: +15°
Start Date: 10/16
Peak Date: 10/21
End Date: 10/27
Meteor Velocity: 70 km/s
Hourly Rate: 25
The Orionid meteor shower is produced by the Halley's Comet (also responsible for creating the Eta Aquariids, which occur each May). In a normal year the Orionids produce 20-25 shower members at maximum. In exceptional years, the peak rates were on par with the Perseids (50-75 per hour).

Southern Taurids

Parent Body: Comet 2P/Encke
Radiant Constellation: Taurus
Radiant RA: 2h
Radiant Dec: +9°
Start Date: 09/10
Peak Date: 10/10
End Date: 11/20
Meteor Velocity: 27 km/s
Hourly Rate: 5
The Taurids are an annual meteor shower associated with the comet Encke. The meteors are very spread out and diffuse. The Taurids are extremely long-lasting, but usually don't offer more than about 7 meteors per hour. That is true even on the South Taurids' peak night.

Leonids

Parent Body: 55P/Tempel
Radiant Constellation: Leo
Radiant RA: 10h 08m
Radiant Dec: +22°
Start Date: 11/6
Peak Date: 11/17
End Date: 11/30
Meteor Velocity: 71 km/s
Hourly Rate: 15
The Leonids, which peak during mid-November each year, are considered to be a major shower though meteor rates are often as low as about 15 meteors per hour. The meteors are bright meteors and can also be colorful. They are also fast: Leonids travel at speeds of 44 miles (71 kilometers) per second, and are considered to be some of the fastest meteors. Outbursts of meteor activity are best seen when the parent object, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, is near perihelion (closest approach to the sun).

Northern Taurids

Parent Body: Comet 2P/Encke
Radiant Constellation: Taurus
Radiant RA: 4h
Radiant Dec: +22°
Start Date: 10/20
Peak Date: 11/12
End Date: 12/10
Meteor Velocity: 29 km/s
Hourly Rate: 5
The Taurids are an annual meteor shower associated with the comet Encke. The meteors are very spread out and diffuse. The Taurids are extremely long-lasting, but usually don't offer more than about 7 meteors per hour. That is true even on the North Taurids' peak night.

Geminids

Parent Body: 3200 Phaethon
Radiant Constellation: Gemini (near Castor)
Radiant RA: 07h 28m
Radiant Dec: +32°
Start Date: 12/4
Peak Date: 12/14
End Date: 12/17
Meteor Velocity: 35 km/s
Hourly Rate: 120
The Geminid meteor shower is nearly 200 years old, according to known records and is still going strong. In fact, it's growing stronger. That's because Jupiter's gravity has tugged the stream of particles from the shower's source, the asteroid 3200 Phaethon, closer to Earth over the centuries. The Geminids are usually the strongest meteor shower of the year. The meteors from this shower are slow moving, can be seen in December and usually peak around December 13-14, with the date of highest intensity being the morning of December 14.

Ursids

Parent Body: 8P/Tuttle
Radiant Constellation: Ursa Minor (near Kochab)
Radiant RA: 14h 28m
Radiant Dec: +78°
Start Date: 12/17
Peak Date: 12/22
End Date: 12/26
Meteor Velocity: 33 km/s
Hourly Rate: 10
The Ursid meteor shower usually peaks around the December sosltice and ends around December 26. Generally, the Ursids are not so intense, offering perhaps as many as 5-10 meteors per hour in a dark sky. In rare instances, bursts of 100 or more meteors per hour have been observed at times, over the past century. These outbursts appear unrelated to the perihelion dates of comet 8P/Tuttle, the parent body of this meteor shower.