Shower (Activity) Dates Max. Radiant Posit. Rad. Drift Vel. ZHR Shower Source
Date at Max. deg/day km/sec at Rating
RA DEC RA DEC
QUADRANTIDS (QUA) 01/01-01/05 01/03 15:20 +49 2.0 -0.2 41 120 I IMO
GAMMA VELIDS (GVE) 01/01-01/15 01/05 08:20 -47 4.4 -0.4 35 2 IV DMS
ALPHA CRUCIDS (ACR) 01/06-01/28 01/15 12:48 -63 4.4 -0.4 50 3 IV DMS
DELTA CANCRIDS (DCA) 01/01-01/31 01/17 08:40 +20 3.6 -0.2 28 4 II IMO
ALPHA HYDRIDS (AHY) 01/05-02/14 01/19 08:52 -11 2.8 -0.3 44 2 IV DMS
ALPHA CARINIDS (CAN) 01/24-02/09 01/30 06:20 -54 1.6 0.0 25 2 IV DMS
DELTA VELIDS (DVE) 01/22-02/21 02/05 08:44 -52 2.0 -0.3 35 1 IV DMS
ALPHA CENTAURIDS (ACE) 01/28-02/21 02/07 14:00 -59 5.2 +1.3 56 6 II IMO
OMICRON CENTAURIDS (OCE) 01/31-02/19 02/11 11:48 -56 3.6 -0.4 51 2 IV DMS
THETA CENTAURIDS (TCE) 01/23-03/12 02/21 14:00 -41 4.4 -0.4 60 4 IV DMS
FEBRUARY LEONIDS (FLE) 02/01-02/28 SEVERAL 11:00 +06 2.0 -0.3 30 5 II LUNSFORD
DELTA LEONIDS (DLE) 02/15-03/10 02/24 11:12 +16 3.6 -0.3 23 2 II IMO
GAMMA NORMIDS (GNO) 02/25-03/22 03/13 16:36 -51 4.4 +0.1 56 8 II IMO
VIRGINIDS (VIR) 03/01-04/15 SEVERAL 13:00 -04 3.6 -0.3 30 5 II IMO
DELTA PAVONIDS (DPA) 03/11-04/16 03/30 13:00 -05 3.6 -0.4 31 5 IV DMS
LIBRIDS (LBR) 04/15-04/30 SEVERAL 15:12 -18 4.4 -0.2 30 5 II LUNSFORD
LYRIDS (LYR) 04/15-04/28 04/22 18:04 +34 4.4 0.0 49 15 I IMO
APRIL FIREBALLS (NB:see notes) 04/22-04-30 04/22 12:12~24 -26~36
PI PUPPIDS (PPU) 04/15-04/28 04/23 07:20 -45 2.4 -0.2 18 VAR III IMO
ALPHA BOOTIDS (ABO) 04/14-05/12 04/28 14:32 +19 3.6 -0.1 20 2 IV LUNSFORD
MU VIRGINIDS (MVI) 04/01-05/12 04/29 15:08 -07 2.0 -0.3 30 2 IV DMS
OMEGA CAPRICORNIDS (WCA) 04/19-05/15 05/02 21:00 -22 3.6 +0.3 50 2 IV LUNSFORD
ETA AQUARIDS (ETA) 04/19-05/28 05/06 22:32 -01 3.6 +0.4 66 60 I IMO
ALPHA SCORPIIDS (ASC) 05/01-05/31 05/16 16:12 -21 4.4 -0.1 35 5 II LUNSFORD
BETA CORONA AUST. (CAU) 04/23-05/30 05/16 18:56 -40 5.2 +0.1 45 3 IV DMS
OMEGA SCORPIIDS (OSC) 05/23-06/15 06/02 15:56 -20 4.0 -0.1 21 5 IV DMS
ARIETIDS (DAR) 05/22-07/02 06/07 02:56 +24 2.8 +0.6 38 54 IV IMO
SAGITTARIDS (SAG) 06/01-07/15 06/19 18:16 -23 4.0 +0.1 30 5 II IMO
TAU CETIDS (CET) 06/18-07/04 06/27 01:36 -12 3.6 +0.4 66 4 IV DMS
JUNE BOOTIDS (JBO) 06/28-06/28 06/28 14:36 +49 14 VAR III IMO
TAU AQUARIDS (TAQ) 06/19-07/05 06/28 22:48 -12 4.0 +0.4 63 7 IV DMS
THETA OPHIUCHIDS (TOP) 06/04-07/15 06/29 16:36 -15 4.4 +0.1 29 2 IV DMS
JULY PEGASIDS (JPE) 07/07-07/13 07/10 22:40 +15 3.2 +0.2 70 3 II IMO
JULY PHOENICIDS (PHE) 07/10-07/16 07/13 02:08 -48 4.2 +0.2 47 VAR III IMO
ALPHA CYGNIDS (ACG) 07/11-07/30 07/18 20:20 +47 2.4 +0.2 37 2 IV DMS
SIGMA CAPRICORNIDS (SCP) 07/15-08/11 07/20 20:28 -15 4.0 +0.2 30 5 IV LUNSFORD
PISCES AUSTRINIDS (PAU) 07/15-08/10 07/28 22:44 -30 4.0 +0.2 35 5 II IMO
SOUTH DELTA AQUARIDS (SDA) 07/12-08/19 07/28 22:36 -16 3.2 +0.2 41 20 I IMO
ALPHA CAPRICORNIDS (CAP) 07/030-8/15 07/30 20:28 -10 3.6 +0.3 23 4 II IMO
SOUTH IOTA AQUARIDS (SIA) 07/25-08/15 08/04 22:16 -15 4.3 +0.2 34 2 II IMO
NORTH DELTA AQUARIDS (NDA) 07/15-08/25 08/08 22:20 -05 4.0 +0.2 42 4 II IMO
PERSEIDS (PER) 07/17-08/24 08/12 03:04 +58 5.4 +0.1 59 90 I IMO
KAPPA CYGNIDS (KCG) 08/03-08/25 08/17 19:04 +59 2.4 +0.3 25 3 II IMO
NORTH IOTA AQUARIDS (NIA) 08/11-08/31 08/20 21:48 -06 4.0 +0.1 31 3 II IMO
PI ERIDANIDS (ERI) 08/20-09/05 08/25 03:28 -15 3.2 +0.3 59 4 IV DMS
GAMMA DORADIDS (GDO) 08/19-09/06 08/28 04:36 -50 2.0 +0.2 41 5 IV DMS
ALPHA AURIGIDS (AUR) 08/25-09/05 09/01 05:36 +42 4.4 0.0 66 10 II IMO
SEPTEMBER PERSEIDS (SPR) 09/05-10/10 09/08 04:00 +47 4.0 +0.1 64 6 II LUNSFORD
ARIES-TRIANGULIDS (ATR) 09/09-09/16 09/12 02:00 +29 4.0 +0.2 35 3 IV LUNSFORD
PISCIDS (SPI) 09/01-09/30 09/20 00:32 00 3.6 +0.2 26 3 II IMO
KAPPA AQUARIDS (KAQ) 09/08-09/30 09/20 22:36 -02 4.0 +0.2 16 3 IV DMS
OCTOBER ARIETIDS (OAR) 10/01-10/31 10/08 02:08 +08 3.6 +0.3 28 5 II LUNSFORD
GIACOBINIDS (GIA) 10/06-10/10 10/08 17:28 +54 20 VAR III IMO
DELTA AURIGIDS (DAU) 09/22-10/23 10/10 05:40 +52 4.8 +0.1 64 6 II LUNSFORD
EPSILON GEMINIDS (EGE) 10/14-10/27 10/18 06:56 +27 4.0 0.0 71 2 II IMO
ORIONIDS (ORI) 10/02-11/07 10/21 06:20 +16 4.8 +0.1 66 20 I IMO
LEO MINORIDS (LMI) 10/21-10/23 10/22 10:48 +37 4.0 -0.4 62 2 IV DMS
SOUTHERN TAURIDS (STA) 11/01-11/25 11/05 03:28 +13 3.2 +0.2 27 5 II IMO
DELTA ERIDANIDS (DER) 11/06-11/29 11/10 03:52 -09 3.6 +0.2 31 2 IV DMS
NORTHERN TAURIDS (NTA) 11/01-11/25 11/12 03:52 +22 3.2 +0.2 29 5 II IMO
ZETA PUPPIDS (ZPU) 11/02-12/20 11/13 07:48 -42 2.8 -0.2 41 3 IV DMS
LEONIDS (LEO) 11/14-11/21 11/17 10:12 +22 2.8 -0.4 71 VAR III IMO
ALPHA MONOCEROTIDS (AMO) 11/15-11/25 11/21 07:20 +03 4.4 0.0 60 VAR III IMO
CHI ORIONIDS (XOR) 11/25-12/31 12/02 05:28 +23 4.8 0.0 28 3 II IMO
PHOENICINIDS (PHO) 11/28-12/09 12/06 01:12 -53 3.2 +0.4 18 VAR III IMO
MONOCEROTIDS (MON) 11/27-12/17 12/09 06:48 +08 3.1 +0.24 43 3 II IMO
SIGMA HYDRIDS (HYD) 12/03-12/15 12/12 08:28 +02 2.8 -0.2 58 2 II IMO
PUPPID-VELIDS (VEL) 12/02-12/16 12/12 09:00 -46 3.2 -0.4 40 4 II IMO
GEMINIDS (GEM) 12/07-12/17 12/14 07:28 +33 4.0 -0.08 35 120 I IMO
COMA BERENICIDS (COM) 12/12-01/23 12/20 11:40 +25 3.2 -0.3 65 5 II IMO
URSIDS (URS) 12/17-12/26 12/22 14:28 +76 0.0 -0.4 33 10 I IMO
NOTES
Meteor showers are best seen on or near the date of maximum activity.
To see a meteor shower at its best the radiant must be more than
halfway up in the sky. Unfortunately most showers are best seen only
during the early morning hours. Radiants with a positive declination
are better seen from the Northern Hemisphere while those with minus
declinations are better seen from the Southern Hemisphere.
The radiant drift is the daily motion in minutes eastward in right
ascension and either north or south in tenths of a degree for
delcination. This is useful for determining the radiant position away
from the night of maximum activity. The average drift is 4.0 minutes
eastward and 0.2 or 0.3 degrees north or south per day. Please remember
that the radiant position will lie west of the listed position before
the date of maximum activity
and east of the listed position after the date of maximum activity.
"With regards to velocity, 0-25 km/sec. is considered slow, 25-50
km/sec. is considered average, and 50-75 km/sec. is considered swift."
A showers rating is a measurement of its strength and reliability. The
4 classes are described below:
I - The strongest annual showers with ZHR's always above 10 at maximum
activity.
II - Dependable minor showers with ZHR's of a least 3 at
maximum activity.
III - Showers with irregular rates. The display may
be strong one year and totally absent the next.
IV - Weak minorshowers that are difficult to separate from the sporadic
background. These showers are best left to the most experienced
observers who use plotting and velocity to determine a meteors
classification.
Sources:
DMS - Dutch Meteor Society
IMO - International Meteor Organization
Lunsford - Association of Lunar & Planetary Observers
Additional Notes
April Fireballs:
•To: meteorobs@atmob.org
•Subject: Re: (meteorobs) Coma Berenicid Meteors Seen!
•From: Skywayinc@aol.com
•Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 11:11:57 EDT
•Delivered-To: meteorobs-mhonarc2@galaxy.atmob.org
•Delivered-To: meteorobs@atmob.org
•Reply-To: meteorobs@atmob.org
•Sender: owner-meteorobs@atmob.org
Back in the 1970s there was talk of a meteorite-dropping
swarm that intersected the Earth's orbit during the second
half of April. In fact, here is an exerpt from the 1991
edition of Guy Ottewell's Astronomical Calendar:
"April Fireballs," Apr. 15-30, an annual sparse irregular shower of
bright meteors some of which reach Earth as meteorites."
Also in the September 1970 S&T, in the News Notes section, page 138,
there is an item concerning "April Meteorite Coincidences." The notation speaks
of the similarity between the calculated orbits of a shadow-casting
fireball that passed over northern New Jersey on April 23, 1962 and a bolide
which dropped meteorites over England, Wales and northern Ireland on April
25, 1969.
The late Charles P. Olivier provided a preliminary orbit for the 1962
fireball based on 80 observations, finding a radiant at RA 183-degrees
(12hrs 12min), declination -26-degrees. For the 1969 bolide, British workers
used a computer at the University of Liverpool to analyze over 300 sightings
and found a radiant point at RA 186-degrees (12hrs 24 min.), declination
-31-degrees. Two sets of orbital elements were later computed and were
found to be "remarkably similar, differing by less than their uncertainties."
Lastly . . . in the June 1970 Journal of the British Astronomical
Asociation, Keith B. Hindley and Howard G. Miles suggested that: "The period April
23-26 should be covered in the future by amateur and professional groups in
the hope of recording further associated fireballs and perhaps meteorite
falls."
/end/