Meteor Showers
The 12 most-watched annual showers, ordered by peak date. Rates and Moon interference are computed for New York; open a shower to see the figures for your own location.
| Shower | Maximum | ZHR | Moon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | January 3 * | 80/hr | 98% Significant (bad) |
| Lyrids | April 22 | 18/hr | 42% Minimal (good) |
| Eta Aquariids | May 6 | 50/hr | 81% Significant (bad) |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | July 31 | 25/hr | 97% Significant (bad) |
| Alpha Capricornids | July 31 | 5/hr | 98% Significant (bad) |
| Perseids | August 13 | 100/hr | 1% Minimal (good) |
| Orionids | October 21 | 20/hr | 83% Minimal (good) |
| Southern Taurids | November 5 | 7/hr | 10% Minimal (good) |
| Northern Taurids | November 12 | 5/hr | 14% Minimal (good) |
| Leonids | November 17 | 15/hr | 60% Minimal (good) |
| Geminids | December 14 | 150/hr | 23% Minimal (good) |
| Ursids | December 22 * | 10/hr | 99% Significant (bad) |
Dates of maximum are taken from the IMO Working List; the radiant and orbital parameters come from the IAU Meteor Data Center. Moon interference is computed for each year and reflects both the Moon's illumination and how much of the night it is above the horizon, so a bright Moon that has set can still rate as good. An asterisk (*) marks sharp maxima only a few hours wide, where the exact night and timezone matter; most showers stay good for several nights around the peak.