Meteor Showers: Yearly Schedule and Radiant

Meteor Shower NameStart and End Date
(Peaks Vary by Year)
Typical
Meteors/Hour
Radiant ConstellationDescription
QuadrantidsJanuary 1 to 660Boötes, near the Big DipperBlue meteors with fine trains. Likely associated with
Comet C/1490 Y1.
LyridsApril 16 to 2510 -15LyraBright fast meteors, some with trains. Associated with
Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, the oldest recorded meteor
shower still visible today and first recorded in 687 BCE.
Eta AquariidsApr 24 to May 2035Aquarius near the star Eta AquariiLow in sky. Associated with Comet Halley.
Delta AquariidsJuly 12 to August 23 20Aquarius near the star Delta AquariiSteady stream of meteors over several days. Likely
associated with Comet 96P/Machholz.
Alpha Capricornids (no link)July 15 to August 255CapricornYellow slow fireballs. Associated with Comet 169P/NEAT.
PerseidsJuly 23 to August 2075PerseusMany bright fast meteors with trains. Associated with
Comet Swift-Tuttle (1737, 1862, 1992).
DraconidsOctober 2 to 1610DracoLess active meteor shower. Associated with
Comet 21/P Giacobini-Zimmer
OrionidsOctober 16 to 2725OrionFast with fine trains. Associated with Comet Halley
(Comet 1P/Halley).
TauridsSeptember 10 to December 1010TaurusVery slow meteors. Taurids are two separate showers
including a Southern and Northern component.
Associated with Comet 2P/Encke, a remnant of a larger
comet that disintegrated the last 20,000 to 30,000 years.
Note, some resources refer to the Northern Taurids as
being associated with the asteroid 2004 TG10, that also
shares the same parent body as Comet 2P/Encke. The
Beta Taurid meteor stream is the suspected source of the
massive and devastating June 1908 Tunguska airburst.
LeonidsNovember 15 to 2030-300LeoFast bright meteors with fine trains. Associated with
Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The 1833 storm was particularly
spectacular, with an estimated 100,000 meteors per hour.
GeminidsDecember 7 to1675Gemini, near the star CastorPlenty of bright meteors, few trains. Associated with
Asteroid 3200 Phaethon. Only major meteor shower not associated with a comet.
UrsidsDecember 7 to 255Ursa Minor, near the Beta Ursae Minoris (Kochab)Sparse shower. Associated with Comet 8P/Tuttle.

Much of the information listed above was gathered from the Royals Museum Greenwich website. To check on specific dates for peak observation times, please click the links above.

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