Date |
Description |
Duration |
| January 4 |
Quadrantids: Radiant--Bootes. Very short lived
shower, less that one day. Variable rate, but generally around 60
per hour. Speed 41 kps and bluish color. |
|
| January 16 |
Delta Cancrids: Radiant--just west of Beehive.
Minor shower, rate about 4 per hour. Very swift. |
|
| January 18 |
Coma Berenicids: Radiant--near Coma star cluster.
Only one or two per hour, but among fastest meteors known--65 kps. |
|
| February 26 |
Delta Leonids: Radiant--midway in Leo's back.
Feb. 5 to Mar. 19 with peak in late Feb. 5 per hour at 24 kps. |
|
| March 16 |
Corona-Australids: Radiant--16 hr 20 min, -48
deg. 5 to 7 per hour from Mar. 14 to Mar. 18. |
|
| March 22 |
Camelopardalids: No definite peak, with only
one per hour. Slowest meteors at 7 kps. |
|
| March 22 |
March Geminids: Discovered in 1973 and confirmed
in 1975. Rate generally about 40 per hour. Seem to be very slow meteors. |
|
| April 4 |
Kappa Serpentids: Radiant--near Corona Borealis
. 4 or 5 per hour from Apr. 1 to 7. |
|
| April 7 |
Delta Draconids: Radiant--near Cepheus border.
From Mar. 28 to Apr. 7. Slow meteors at about 5 per hour. |
|
| April 10 |
Virginids: Radiant-- near Gamma in bowl of Virgo.
20 per hour. |
|
| April 15 |
April Fireballs: Radiant-- between The Water
Jar and Scutum, very erratic. From April 15 to 30 many bright bolides
from Southeastern sky. |
|
| April 17 |
Sigma Leonids: Radiant-- at Leo Virgo border,
actually has moved into Virgo in recent years. Weak shower of 1 to
2 per hour. |
|
| April 22 |
Lyrids: Radiant-- near Vega. 15 per hour, bright
and long lasting meteors. From Comet Thatcher. |
|
| April 25 |
Mu Virginids: Radiant--near Libra. 7 to 10 per
hour of medium speed meteors. |
|
| April 28 |
Alpha Bootids: Radiant-- near Arcturus. From
Apr. 14 to May 13. Slow meteors with fine trails. |
|
| May 1 |
Phi Bootids: Radiant--near Hercules. From Apr.
16 to May 12. 6 per hour. |
|
| May 3 |
Alpha Scorpiids: Radiant-- Near Antares. From
Apr. 16 to May 9. |
|
| May 4 |
Eta Aquarids: Radiant-- near Water Jar. From
Apr. 21 to May 12. 21 per hour, yellow with bright trails. Comet Halley
debris. |
|
| June 3 |
Tau Herculids: Radiant--near Corona Borealis.
About a month long, 15 per hour max, most quite faint. |
|
| June 5 |
Scorpiids: Radiant--near Ophiuchus. 20 per hour
with some fireballs. |
|
| June 7 |
Arietids: About 30 per hour. Slow moving with
some fireballs. |
|
| June 13 |
Ophiuchids: Radiant-- near Scorpius. Only 3 per
hour but fast moving bolides are common. |
25 days |
| June 16 |
June Lyrids: Radiant--near Vega. Another part
of May Lyrid meteor stream. 15 per hour, faint blue meteors. |
|
| June 20 |
Ophiuchids: Radiant-- near Sagitarrius. Rate
varies from 8 to 20, with occaisionally many more. |
|
| June 30 |
June Draconids: Radiant--near handle of Big Dipper.
Rate varies from 10 to 100 per hour. Pons-Winnecke Comet is parent. |
|
| July 28 |
Delta Aquarids: Radiant--near Capricornus. 25
per hour, slow (24 kps) with yellow trails. |
40 days |
| July 30 |
Capricornids: Radiant--near Aquarius. Tough to
tell these from Delta Aquarids. 10 to 35 per hour with bolides. |
|
| August 10 |
Perseids: Radiant--near Double cluster. 50 to
100 per hour, yellow with trails and bolides. The best modern dependable
shower. |
5 days. |
| August 20 |
Kappa Cygnids: Radiant--near Deneb. 12 per hour
with many fireballs. Duration--15 days. |
|
| August 31 |
Andromedids: Radiant-- near Cassiopeia. Occaisionally
spectacular, usually 20 per hour. Some red fireballs with trails.
Biela's Comet parent. |
|
| September 23 |
Alpha Aurigids: Radiant-- near Capella. 12 per
hour, fast with trails. |
|
| October 7 |
Piscids: Radiant--near Aries. 15 per hour at
28 kps. |
|
| October 9 |
Draconids: Raidiant--near Hercules. Spectacular
when comet Giacobinni-Zinner passes near Earth. 200 per hour when
comet is close is not uncommon, 1000 per hour sometimes. |
|
| October 20 |
Orionids: Radiant--near Taurus. 30 per hour,
fast (67 kps) often in colors with long trails. |
8 days. |
| November 5 |
Taurids: Radiant--near Pleaides. 10 per hour
with many fireballs. Debris from comet Encke. |
45 days. |
| November 12 |
Pegasids: Radiant--Near Square. from Oct. 10
to late Nov., 10 per hour, used to be spectacular. |
|
| November 17 |
Leonids: Radiant--near Sickle. Most spectacular
of modern showers. 1966 saw 500,000 per hour-- 140 per second. Comet
Temple--Tuttle is parent. 20 per hour between 33 year shows, fastest
known at 71 kps. |
4 days. |
| Decmeber 10 |
Monocerids: Radiant-- near Gemini. 12 per hour. |
|
| Decmeber 11 |
Sigma Hydrids: Radiant--near Head. 12 per hour,
fast. |
|
| Decmeber 14 |
Geminids: Radiant--near Castor. 60 per hour,
many bright, white but few trails. Icarus, the Earth-crossing astroid
seems to be the parent. |
6 days. |
| Decmeber 14 |
Leo Minorids: 10 per hour, somewhat faint. Discovered
by amateurs in 1971. |
|
| Decmeber 20 |
Delta Arietids: 12 per hour, must view in early
evening, before radiant sets. |
|
| Dec. 22 |
Ursids: Radiant--Little Dipper Bowl. Medium speed,
20 per hour, many with bright trails. |
2 days |