Best Viewed Meteor Showers

What They Are and when They Occur

The planet Earth is almost always experiencing a meteor shower. Most meteor showers are weak and can hardly been seen with the naked eye, however there are some meteor showers that are extremely strong and viewed quite easily.

Some meteor showers, such as the Perseids and the Leonids are the most well known, but there are other, less popular meteor showers that can be viewed in the night sky as well. Some of these meteor showers produce only a handful of meteors per hour, while others will sometimes produce meteor storms, producing a meteor every few seconds or minutes. However many meteors they produce, these storms can be seen quite easily with the naked eye.

The Quadrantids Meteor Shower

At the beginning of the year, in early January, we encounter the Quadrantids. The radiant, or starting point, of the Quadrantids meteor shower is an area inside the constellation of Bootes. The celestial body that causes the Quadrantids meteor shower is a topic of debate, though many scientists and astronomers believe that it was once a minor planet that became a comet. The Quadrantids can be viewed the first week of January from the 1st through the 5th, and they peak on January 3rd.

The Lyrids Meteor Shower

The Lyrids meteor shower is the next strong shower to occur during the year. Lasting from April 15th to April 28th, this meteor shower peaks on April 22nd. The Lyrids meteor shower radiant is in the constellation of Lyra. The celestial body that causes the Lyrids is the Comet Thatcher. The Lyrid meteor shower can be viewed from almost anywhere, and can best be seen in the early morning hours before sunrise. When viewed in the country away from city lights, you can generally see between 5-20 meteors per hour.

The Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower