caldays
Annual meteor showers

Annual meteor showers calendar

Major recurring meteor showers visible from Earth, with peak dates, hourly rates, and the parent comets/asteroids.

🌠 Quadrantids

Peak: Jan 3-4
Active: Dec 28 - Jan 12
ZHR
120
per hour
Parent: 2003 EH1 (asteroid)

Sharp peak; best in northern hemisphere.

🌠 Lyrids

Peak: Apr 22-23
Active: Apr 16-25
ZHR
18
per hour
Parent: C/1861 G1 Thatcher

One of the oldest recorded — Chinese references from 687 BC.

🌠 Eta Aquariids

Peak: May 5-6
Active: Apr 19 - May 28
ZHR
50
per hour
Parent: 1P/Halley

Best viewed from the tropics and southern hemisphere.

🌠 Delta Aquariids

Peak: Jul 28-29
Active: Jul 12 - Aug 23
ZHR
25
per hour
Parent: 96P/Machholz?

Best in southern hemisphere.

🌠 Perseids

Peak: Aug 12-13
Active: Jul 17 - Aug 24
ZHR
100
per hour
Parent: 109P/Swift-Tuttle

The most popular shower in the northern hemisphere. Warm summer nights.

🌠 Draconids

Peak: Oct 8-9
Active: Oct 6-10
ZHR
10
per hour
Parent: 21P/Giacobini-Zinner

Variable — has produced thousands per hour in outburst years.

🌠 Orionids

Peak: Oct 21-22
Active: Oct 2 - Nov 7
ZHR
25
per hour
Parent: 1P/Halley

Fast meteors leaving persistent trains.

🌠 Leonids

Peak: Nov 17-18
Active: Nov 6-30
ZHR
15
per hour
Parent: 55P/Tempel-Tuttle

Famous for meteor storms every ~33 years (next 2032-2033).

🌠 Geminids

Peak: Dec 13-14
Active: Dec 4-17
ZHR
150
per hour
Parent: 3200 Phaethon (asteroid)

The most reliable, most numerous shower of the year.

🌠 Ursids

Peak: Dec 22-23
Active: Dec 17-26
ZHR
10
per hour
Parent: 8P/Tuttle

Minor but consistent. Northern hemisphere only.

How to view meteor showers

  • Dark skies — leave city light pollution behind. Even small rural towns work.
  • After midnight — meteor rates peak as Earth turns into the meteor stream.
  • Look up and wide — meteors can appear anywhere in the sky.
  • Let your eyes adapt — 20-30 minutes for full dark adaptation.
  • Be patient — even peak showers have 1-2 minute gaps between meteors.
  • No equipment needed — binoculars and telescopes show too small a sky area.

ZHR = Zenithal Hourly Rate. The theoretical number of meteors per hour you'd see under ideal dark sky conditions with the radiant directly overhead. Actual rates are usually 30-70% of ZHR.