How to Spot Meteor Showers Throughout the Year

Want to know about meteor showers that happen consistently each year? Here's a guide to help you know when to look in the sky!

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. 
   The Quandrantids Metor Shower

   The Quadrantid Maximum Meteor Shower
   
   Date: January 1st - January 5th (Peaking on the night of January 3rd/4th)
   Origination: Originates from where the constellations Hercules, Boötes, and Draco meet in the sky.
   Details: This meteor shower can be challenging to see because it is in the middle of winter. Visibility can be poor and it's pretty cold outside. The best time to see Quadrantid meteorites is on the morning of the 4th, during the dark hours just before sunrise. The Quantrantid meteor shower is quite intense, but only lasts a few hours.

2. 
   The Lyrids Meteor Shower

   The Lyrid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: April 16th - April 23rd (Peaking on the night of April 22nd/23rd)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Lyra.
   Details: Visibility for the Lyrid's Meteor Shower can either be good or bad. The Lyrid Meteor shower averages around 10 meteors per hour. If you're lucky, you might see a Lyrid Fireball, a meteor that leaves a smoky debris trail that can be viewed for a minute or more.

3. 
   The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower

   The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: April 21st - May 12th (Peaking on the night of May 7th/8th)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Aquarius.
   Details: The Eta Aquarid meteor shower most likely will be easy to view. What makes this meteor shower interesting is that it originates from Halley's comet. It is best viewed from the southern hemisphere (averages 30 meteors per hour), but provides a good show for the northern hemisphere as well (averages 10 meteors per hour). This part of the sky only rises for an hour or so before the sun comes up. You'll want to observe this one between 3:20am and sunrise.

4. 
   The Alpha Capricornids Meteor Shower

   The Alpha Capricornid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: July 15th - September 11th (Peaking on July 31st/August 1st)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Capricorn.
   Details: The Alpha Capricornids produce around 10 meteors per hour, maximum.

5. 
   The Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower

   The Delta Aquarid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: July 16th - September 10th (Peaking on the night of July 29th/30th)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Aquarius.
   Details: Best viewed from the southern hemisphere (maximum 15-20 meteors per hour), but provides a good show for those in the northern hemisphere as well (maximum 10 meteors per hour). Although this meteor shower peaks on July 29th, it's peak isn't a big deal. This meteor shower is consistent from mid-July to early September.

6. 
   The Perseids Meteor Shower

   The Perseid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: July 17th - August 24th (Peaking on the nights of August 8th through August 14th.)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Perseus.
   Details: The Perseid Meteor Shower is one of the best! It can display an average of 50-150 meteors per hour on average, increasing at times from 400-1,000 meteors per hour. This makes the Perseid Meteor Shower a spectacular show.

7. 
   The Orionids Meteor Shower

   The Orionid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: October 15th - October 29th (Peaking on the night of October 20th through the 22nd)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Orion.
   Details: The Orionids Meteor Shower is usually easily viewable. It displays 10-15 meteors per hour on averageand is best viewed in the morning hours.

8. 
   The Taurids Meteor Shower

   The Taurid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: November 5th - November 12th (Peaking on the night of November 13th/14th)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Taurus.
   Details: The Orionids Meteor Shower is usually easily viewable. It displays 10-15 meteors per hour on averageand is best viewed in the morning hours.

9. 
   The Leonids Meteor Shower

   The Leonid Meteor Shower
   
   Date: November 13th - November 21st (Peaking on the night of November 17th/18th)
   Origination: Originates from the constellation Leo.
   Details: The Leonid Meteor Showers are hardly detectable unless you view them toward or on their peak night. Also, the weather may or may not be good for viewing the sky. However, if the sky is clear, on the peak viewing nights, you will generally see around 10 meteors per hour.

10. 
    The Geminids Meteor Shower

    The Geminid Meteor Shower
    
    Date: December 6th - December 18th (Peaking on the night of December 13th/14th)
    Origination: Originates from the constellation Gemini.
    Details: The Geminid Meteor shower can be one of the best shows of the year, if the sky is clear. It generally produces 50-80 meteors per hour during its peak. During optimal condition, it's possible to see between 120 and 160 meteors per hour.

Tips & Warnings

• Take binoculars to get a closer look.
• Find out if the moon will be bright on the night you are observing. See the moon phase website in the related resources.

Resources

• Constellation Sky Maps
• Moon Phase Calendar

[xivyisazombiex]

on 11/6/2009 I love looking at the stars. I have seen a few meteor showers and hope to see more.

[crosswised]

on 10/18/2009 Great article! Meteor showers fascinate me and I will save this article to my Favorites. Rated 5*

[GreenMomma]

on 5/5/2009 I once went into the desert to watch a meteor shower, it was the coolest thing! Thanks for the dates!!!

[npd65]

on 4/20/2009 I love this stuff! I can't wait to see my next meteor shower.

[amester]

on 4/16/2009 My husband and I are big star gazers. This article is FANTASTIC. Thank you! 5*