The following is a short list of the four major meteor showers of the year for the northern hemisphere.
Although spectacular to watch at any time, August provides one of the best summer months for viewing them. And the low light pollution of an interior trip makes the show really wild! Sit back, relax and enjoy the fireworks!
| Active: Jan 01-Jan 05 | Date of Maximum: Jan 03 |
| Radiant: 230 +49 | Velocity: 41 km/s |
| ZHR = 120 | |
The Quadrantids have the shortest duration of all the major showers. The short but intense maximum can produce rates in excess of 100 meteors per hour.
The shower must peak near 05:00 hours local time in order to see it at its best. Observing only 6 hours on either side of maximum will produce rates no better than 20-30 meteors per hour.
The Quadrantids are easy to photograph at maximum, with bright yellow fireballs being visible.
| Active: Jul 17-Aug 24 | Date of Maximum: Aug 12 |
| Radiant: 46 +57 | Velocity: 59 km/s |
| ZHR = see Note below | |
This is the most popular meteor shower of the year due to the combination of high rates and fair weather this time of year in much of the Northern Hemisphere.
A majority of activity is produced on August 11, 12, and 13. The shower's primary maximum has produced rates of 400+ in 1991 and 1992, around 300 in 1993, 220 in 1994 and about 160 in 1995 and the spectacular outburst of 2001.
The return of the parent comet, 109P/Swift-Tuttle in late 1992 is almost certainly responsible for these recent outbursts, although the material was probably laid down during the comet's previous perihelion passage in 1862. A secondary maximum occurs with ZHRs often approaching 100 or more. The brighter members of this shower are often colorful and produce long-lasting trains.
The Perseids are easy to photograph near the date of maximum activity.
| Active: Nov 14-Nov 21 | Date of Maximum: Nov 17 |
| Radiant: 153 +22 | Velocity: 71 km/s |
| ZHR = 40+ | |
The Leonids are a shower of short duration, lasting only one week centered on November 18.
The Leonids are particles from Comet Temple-Tuttle, which reached perihelion in 1998.
During periods of high activity, the Leonids are easy to photograph. Many shower members are bright and leave long lasting trains.
The Leonid stream collides with the earth from a head-on position that produces the highest velocity of all major showers, often producing blue, green or white meteors that frequently leave a train.
| Active: Dec 07-Dec 17 | Date of Maximum: Dec 13 |
| Radiant: 112 +33 | Velocity: 35 km/s |
| ZHR = 110 | |
The Geminids, with their high rates and reliability from year to year, are the shower of choice of veteran meteor observers. This is usually the strongest shower of the year and produces nearly 100 meteors per hour on the morning of December 14.
The Geminids are visible for one week prior to maximum, but the great majority of activity is limited to December 13 and 14. The peak has shown slight signs of variability in time and maximum rates, and the true maximum may fall a few hours before or after the published time.
This shower produces many bright meteors, but persistent trains are rare. Near maximum there are many fireballs with vivid colors, especially their many bright yellow-orange meteors, making this shower easy to photograph.
