Meteors, or Shooting Stars in Earth’s Atmosphere

As always, our first major shower of the year is the Quadrantids. Named for a constellation that no longer exists, this shower is a little different in that its maximum only lasts about six hours. This year, there’s good news and bad news. The good news is that, according to the International Meteor Organization, the shower is expected to peak during the evening hours of the 3^rd for observers in North America. The bad news is that the Moon will be a waning gibbous and could cause significant interference.

The shower’s radiant lies about midway between the tip of kite-shaped Boötes and the faint stars of Draco’s body. As such, it’ll start to rise over the northeastern horizon at around midnight, but you’ll want to wait another two or three hours for the Moon to sink low in the west. From a dark location, you can expect to see around 25 meteors an hour, with the occasional bright fireball thrown in for good measure.

Once January’s Quadrantids are over, we have a quiet spell until late April, but February and March are not without their showers. That said, the two most prolific showers in either month are best seen in the southern hemisphere, but observers in the north might still see some increased activity.

February’s shower is the Alpha Centaurids, and there’s a reasonable chance you may be able to spot a few – if you’re willing to rise early. Like the Quadrantids, there’s good news and bad news here. The shower is predicted to peak at 4:40 AM ET, when the constellation Centaurus will be at its highest (albeit still very low) over the southern horizon. This would be ideal for east coast observers, except that the waning gibbous Moon (94% illuminated) will still be quite high in the southwest. These meteors are bright, but they’re fast and typically only produce around 5 or 6 an hour under ideal conditions.

ALPHA CENTAURIDS

• Active: Jan 31^st – Feb 20^th
• Maximum: Feb 8^th 04:40 ET / Feb 8^th 01:40 ET
• Moon: Waning Gibbous
• ZHR: 6
• Parent Object: Unknown
• Radiant: 14:04h -58.2°
• Brightness: Bright
• Speed: Fast

The Gamma Normids are typically comparable to the Alpha Centaurids, but 2023 will most likely prove to be a disappointment. While the maximum occurs during darkness hours for North American observers, the constellation won’t rise until a few hours before dawn. Unfortunately, that’s also when the last quarter Moon will make an appearance, to the east of Antares in neighboring Scorpius.

With this in mind, east coast observers will probably stand the best chance, as the shower peaks at midnight while the Moon is still below the horizon and the radiant itself is closer to rising. If you want to try your luck, you’ll need to be in a dark location from midnight onwards and have a good, clear view of the southern horizon.

GAMMA NORMIDS

• Active: Feb 25^th – Mar 28^th
• Maximum: Mar 14^th 00:20 ET / Mar 13^th 21:20 PT
• Moon: Last Quarter
• ZHR: 6
• Parent Object: Unknown
• Radiant: 16:24h -51.0°
• Brightness: Unknown
• Speed: Fast

After a lackluster February and March, the Lyrid meteors of April promise to pick things up a little. This is a consistent shower and can result in noticeably increased activity for about a day before and after maximum. These fairly bright meteor or shooting star move at a medium speed, making them easier to spot.

Once again, east coast observers are favored, as the maximum occurs during the mid-evening hours of the 22^nd, just as true darkness falls. Lyra itself will still be below the horizon but will rise in the northeast just a little before midnight. Regardless of your location, it might be best to step outside from 10 PM onwards, when the maximum has most recently passed and the constellation is rising. Don’t worry about the Moon; it’ll be a waxing crescent and will either be below the west-northwestern horizon or very close to it.

May is another quiet month, and while we have the Eta Aquariids, they’re not the best choice when it comes to shooting stars. For one thing, although they’re bright, they’re also fast, so you’ll need to keep your eyes peeled. Another problem is the location of the shower’s radiant; Aquarius itself climbs reasonably high for observers in the northern hemisphere, but it’s a fall constellation and doesn’t rise until a few hours before dawn.

This means the radiant will be low over the eastern horizon as the predawn sky begins to brighten, thereby making it difficult to see any meteors that might otherwise be more readily apparent. Unfortunately, 2023 also brings an additional problem: the Moon. It turns full on the 5^th and its light will have a significant impact, making all but the brightest meteor or shooting star invisible. That said, your best chance comes at around two and a half hours before dawn, with the Moon low in the west as the shower’s radiant rises in the east.

ETA AQUARIIDS

• Active: Apr 19^th – May 28^th
• Maximum: May 6^th 10:30 ET / May 6^th 07:30 PT
• Moon: Full Moon
• ZHR: 50
• Parent Object: 1P/Halley (Comet)
• Radiant: 22:32h -00.8°
• Brightness: Bright
• Speed: Fast

The June Boötids can be a little hit or miss, with previous outbursts occurring in 1998 and 2004. In both instances, the outbursts were attributed to meteoroids remaining from a previous pass of the parent comet, 7P/Pons-Winnecke, and no such outburst is expected in 2023.

It’s therefore difficult to predict exactly how many meteors you may be able to spot. On the plus side, these are known to be slow and bright, but while the radiant is above the horizon for the entire night, the maximum comes just 6 days after the summer solstice, when the nights are at their shortest. There’ll also be a first quarter Moon in 2023, so your best chance will come a little after midnight, with the Moon low in the southwest and the shower’s radiant high in the northwest.

Despite a reasonable zenith hourly rate of 25, the Southern Delta Aquariids can be a little challenging, as they’re known to be faint. However, unlike its brighter, more prolific sibling shower, the Eta Aquariids in May, the Southern Delta Aquariids won’t suffer so badly from moonlight.

Step outside at around 1 AM on the 28^th and you’ll find the waxing gibbous Moon low in the southwest, with Aquarius rising in the southeast. The shower’s radiant lies a little less than six degrees to the southeast of brilliant Jupiter, so you should look some way to the east and west of the planet for your best chance of spotting some shooting stars.

August, of course, brings us the famous Perseid meteor or shooting star shower. Known since ancient times, this shower is the celestial equivalent of Yellowstone’s Old Faithful geyser, and can be relied upon to put on a consistently good show year after year. This year, in particular, has a lot of potential as the Moon will be a waning crescent and won’t be rising until shortly before dawn.

This gives observers a great opportunity to see the shower unhindered, as the slender Moon won’t be bright enough to cause any interference. As an added bonus, the shower’s predicted maximum occurs in the early hours of the 13^th, so there’s a decent chance of being able to see a higher-than-average number of shooting stars. You can start your shower watch on the evening of the 12^th, but for the best chance of success, go outside after midnight and look to the north and east.

PERSEIDS

• Active: Jul 17^th – Aug 24^th
• Maximum: Aug 13^th 03:00 – 10:00 ET / Aug 13^th 00:00 – 07:00 ET
• Moon: Waning Crescent
• ZHR: 100
• Parent Object: 109P/Swift-Tuttle (Comet)
• Radiant: 03:13h +58.1°
• Brightness: Medium
• Speed: Fast

The Perseids might be one of the most famous meteor showers, but there’s a lesser-known shower that has its radiant in the same constellation. With a zenith hourly rate of just five, the September Epsilon Perseids are nowhere near as showy as their neighbor but could provide an interesting challenge for anyone willing to give them a shot.

Maximum is predicted for the evening of the 9^th, with the radiant itself rising at around 10:30 PM. Given that the peak is predicted for 7 PM ET (4 PM PT) that evening, observations can begin a few hours after sunset, when the skies are truly dark. Like the Perseids, you’ll need to look toward the north and east, but watch carefully – these are not the brightest meteors and they move quickly. On the plus side, the Moon is a waning crescent and won’t pose any problems.

The vast majority of meteor showers originate from a comet, and while that’s also true of the Orionids, this particular shower has a very famous parent: Comet Halley. It’s a pretty dependable shower, that occasionally produces a strong outburst, but this year is expected to be about average.

That said, with a zenith hourly rate of 20, you’re almost certain to see a shooting star or two, and although the Moon will be at first quarter, it will be low over the western horizon as Orion and the shower’s radiant are rising in the east. Step outside at around 11 PM and then look to the northeast and southeast; these meteors are fast, but they’re bright, and if you’re under dark skies you should be in luck.

The Leonids, like the Perseids, are a shower that’s become known to the public in recent years, mainly due to the outburst in 1999. While no such outburst is predicted for 2023, one model suggests a second maximum on the morning of the 21^st, with a zenith hourly rate that’s potentially double what you might normally expect.

Either way, the Moon won’t be a problem as it’s a waxing crescent on the regular maximum date and will be below the horizon at the time of the shower’s predicted peak. It’s a similar story for the potential second maximum; with the Moon at first quarter it will set shortly after midnight, hours before the estimated maximum at 7 AM ET (4 AM PT).

Our last major meteor or shooting star shower of the year also has the potential of being the best. The Geminids, like the Perseids, are known to be reliable, and observers have seen a steady increase in shower activity in recent years. Current estimates place the zenith hourly rate at around 150, thereby beating the Perseids to the top spot, and with the constellation Gemini being visible throughout the night and passing high overhead, this is one shower that has the potential to truly deliver the goods.

As such, if you only make time for one meteor shower this year, this is the one to go for. The Moon will be a very slender crescent on the 14^th and will be below the horizon by mid-evening, when Gemini will be rising in the east-northeast. These meteor or shooting star are usually quite bright and are often colorful, making this shower a true celestial fireworks show!

GEMINIDS

• Active: Dec 4^th – Dec 20^th
• Maximum: Dec 14^th 14:00 ET / Dec 14^th 11:00 PT
• Moon: Waxing Crescent
• ZHR: 150
• Parent Object: 3200 Phaethon (Asteroid)
• Radiant: 07:33h +32.4°
• Brightness: Medium
• Speed: Medium