Meteor showers

Shooting stars, on schedule

Meteor showers are predictable — the earth plows through a comet's debris trail on the same dates every year. The only variables are the moon and the weather.

The big three

perseids    aug 11-13 · 120/hr · best in the north
geminids    dec 13-14 · 150/hr · bright and slow
lyrids      apr 22    · 20/hr  · fast, occasional fireballs

How to watch

No scope needed. Recline, let your eyes adapt for 20 minutes, and watch the whole sky, not one spot.