About the table

   Each meteor shower is named for the constellation – major grouping of stars -- from whose direction the meteors will appear to radiate. The word "shower" is of course very figurative.  The table below excludes very minor meteor events and those only visible in locations south of Maine. You will note that on some dates the peak time given is actually during the daytime.  This merely means that at the mathematically precise time of the peak, viewers on the night side of the Earth will be seeing them.  However most such "peaks" actually last many hours or even many days. Also note that on some evenings more than one meteor shower may be active.

General advice for observing Meteors

    Obtain and use a star chart to familiarize yourself with the night sky on your observing date. Many meteor shower radiants do not rise before midnight, making  observation best between midnight and morning twilight. Plan your observing session as close to the date/ time of shower peak as possible. Find a dark observation site, as far from outdoor lights as you can. 
    Moonless skies are the most favorable. Even at crescent or quarter phases you may be able to work around moonlight interference by observing before moonrise, or after moonset. However meteor showers which occur near the time of gibbous or full moon give little such leeway.
    Allow time for your eyes to adjust to dark conditions. If you must have light to consult a star chart or to make notes, use a dim flashlight whose lens is covered with red cellophane. Telescopes or binoculars are not necessary. A reclining lawn chair, a large boulder with a slanted surface to rest your back against, or a sleeping bag on the ground are the most comfortable ways to go. Dress for conditions 10 or 15 degrees F. colder than the actual air temperature, as you will be sitting still for long periods of time.
   Direct your gaze a bit above the midway point between the horizon and the zenith, in the general direction of the shower radiant, without concentrating on any one spot.  Then your peripheral vision will alert you to the sudden appearance of a meteor.   Have patience and enjoy Nature's show!

Shower Name (1)	Activity Period (1) except where noted	Peak Date/Time EST/EDST (2)  except where noted	Lunar phase near peak	Gramer's Rating  (3)	Relative Speed of Meteors  (1, 5)	Idealized Hourly Rate "ZHR" (1)	Typical Hourly Rate (4)
Quadrantids	Jan. 1 - 5	Jan. 3, 1 pm (7)		Very Strong	Moderate	120 ±60	10
Virginids	Jan. 25 - Apr. 15 (7)	(Mar. 24) (7)		Weak	Moderate	5	--
Lyrids	Apr. 16 - Apr. 25	Apr. 22, 3 am		Medium to Strong	Fast	18	5
Eta-Aquarids	Apr. 19 - May 28	May 4, 10 pm		Strong to Very Strong	Very fast	60	5
Sagittarids	Apr. 15 - July 15 (3,7)	(May 20) (7)		Weak	Moderate	5	--
Southern Delta-Aquarids	July 12 - Aug. 19	July 27, 6 pm		Strong	Fast	20	4
Northern Delta-Aquarids	July 15-Aug. 25 (1)	Aug. 8 (1)		--	Fast	4	--
Perseids	July 17 - Aug. 24	Aug. 11, 10 pm		Very Strong	Fast	100	20
Alpha-Aurigids	Aug. 25 - Sept. 5	Sept. 1 (1)		Medium	Very fast	7	--
Delta-Aurigids	Sept. 16 - Oct. 10 [Sept. 5 - Oct. 10] (7)	Sept. 23 (1) [Sept. 9] (7)		Weak	Very fast	5	--
Giacobinids [Draconids] (3, 7)	Oct. 6 - 10	Oct. 8 (1)		Very Weak to Very Strong	Slow	var.	--
Orionids	Oct. 2 - Nov. 7	Oct. 21, 2 pm		Strong	Very fast	23	10
Southern Taurids	Oct. 1 - Nov. 25	Nov. 2, 9 pm [Nov. 5] (1, 7)		Weak	Slow	5	2
Northern Taurids	Oct. 1 - Nov. 25 (1)	Nov. 12 (1)		Weak	Slow	5	2
Leonids	Nov. 14 - 21	Nov. 17, 4 pm [Nov. 19] (1, 7)		Strong to Extremely Strong	Very fast	60 ±40	30 ±20
Alpha-Monocerotids	Nov. 15 - 25 (1)	Nov. 21 (1)		Usually Weak	Very fast	var.	--
Geminids	Dec. 7 - 17	Dec. 13, 2 pm		Very Strong	Moderate	120	50
Coma Berenicids	Dec. 12 - Jan. 23	Dec. 20 (1)		Weak	Very fast	5	--
Ursids	Dec. 17 - 26	Dec. 22 (1)		Medium	Moderate	10	2

• Notes:
  Major Showers are named in bold.
  Dates in parentheses are uncertain or variable.
  Peaks in parentheses show showers with diffuse activity profiles.
  Peak hour given when available.  Some peaks occur in daylight hours, Eastern Time.  Remember,  the Cosmos does not necessarily favor the East Coast of the USA!
  Meteors' speed is based on average velocity and "is mainly dependent on whether the meteoroids are traveling in a similar direction to the Earth, or colliding with us head-on as we orbit around the Sun." (6)    
  My informal speed rating scale:  Very fast = 60-73 km/sec; Fast =45-59 km/sec; Moderate = 30-44 km/sec; Slow = 18-29 km/sec.  The impression of speed will vary depending on the angle at which meteors approach in your view of the sky.  

• Sources:  
  (1)  American Meteor Society page
  (2)  NASA Marshall Space Flight Center page
  (3) Lew Gramer’s meteor page
  (4) American Meteor Society "FAQ" page.  Example based on suburban night skies lit by a quarter moon.  Your luck may be better or worse -- check the  Moon's phase for your observation date.
  (5) NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory meteor table page
  (6) Astronomical Society of New South Wales page
  (7) International Meteor Organization 2006 Meteor Calendar page.

Key to Lunar phase icons

Phase	Symbol	Moon's approx. age (days)	Likely interference for late evening observation	Phase	Symbol	Moon's approx. age (days)	Likely interference for late evening observation
New Moon		0	None	Full Moon		15	High
Waxing Crescent		4	None	Waning Gibbous		18	None before about 9 pm, then High
First Quarter		7	Moderate, then none after midnight	Last Quarter		22	None until midnight, then Moderate
Waxing Gibbous		11	High until nearly dawn	Waning Crescent		26	None

Note:  you may re-use these lunar icons.  Please credit "courtesy Maine Nature News"

Useful Web sites

• American Meteor Society  http://www.amsmeteors.org/showers.html
• International Meteor Organization  http://www.imo.net/calendar/2006/tables
• Lew Gramer’s Meteor Page  http://www.meteorobs.org/
• NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory meteor table  http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/meteor_streams.html
• NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center meteor observing advice and table for 2006 http://liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/academy/space/solarsystem/meteors/Observing.html
• Observing meteors by audio, using ordinary radios and other equipment - American Meteor Society http://www.amsmeteors.org/radmet.html
• Journal of the Astronomical Society of New South Wales:  - Lesa Moore "Back To Basics - Space Debris III: Meteors" August 1999 - Vol 46 #8

Return to Maine Nature News home page.

rev. 08/19/2006