The year 2025 stretches out ahead of us with plenty of opportunities, including a full schedule of meteor showers. They come every year like clockwork, meaning planning star photography trips can be done months in advance. Here’s a look at what’s happening, when and how you can watch it.
Watching Tips
For the best odds of seeing the most meteors during any shower, the first tip is to stay as far away from the big city as logistically possible — and this also applies to suburbanites. Light pollution is the enemy of space viewing, and most meteor showers are barely visible in the suburbs, let alone large cities. From there, you’ll need to find the radiant — also known as the point where the meteor shower appears to originate — and then keep your eyes trained in that direction. Moonlight can also be a negative factor, but since meteor showers occur on specific days, it is up to nature whether or not moonlight will affect viewing.
A meteor was seen streaking over the Trona Pinnacles near Death Valley, California during the annual Perseid meteor shower in August 2019.
Quatrains
when: Until January 16
Peak date: January 2 to 3
Maximum meteor rate: 120 meteors per hour
radiant: Big Dipper
The new year starts off with a bang, as the Quandrantids peak on January 2 and 3. This is one of the largest meteor showers of the year, producing more than 120 meteors per hour. These meteorites come from asteroid 2003 EH as Earth drifts through its tail.
Gamma standards
when: February 25 to March 28
Peak date: From 14 to 15 March
Maximum meteor rate: 6 meteors per hour
radiant: Norma
The Gamma Normid is a small meteor shower that appears at the end of February and most of March. It comes thanks to comet C/1913 R1 (Crumlin). This is one of the least exciting showers of the year. Its radiant is the constellation Norma, which is located in the southern hemisphere. However, keen skygazers can see some meteors on the horizon on a dark night during its peak in mid-March, and perhaps see more of them in the intervening days and weeks. Most people probably won’t see anything but it’s still there, spewing meteors.
Guitars
The Milky Way and the annual April Leridians meteor shower are seen in the night sky above the Burg of Fehmarn on the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea, northern Germany, in 2018.
when: From April 15 to April 30
Peak date: April 21 to 22
Maximum meteor rate: 18 meteors per hour
radiant: Lyra
Things improve again in April with the Lyrids meteor shower. Its radiance is Lyra, which will shine from the eastern sky every night during its flow. This is slightly larger than most other planets, at a rate of 18 meteors per hour. The Earth passes through Comet Thatcher C/1861 G1 every April to bring this shower to its citizens. Interestingly, Lyrid meteorites tend to have no trails but can produce some very bright fireballs.
And buckets
when: April 20 to May 21
Peak date: May 3 to 4
Maximum meteor rate: 50 meteors per hour
radiant: Aquarius
1P/Halley, commonly known as Halley’s Comet, is responsible for Eta Aquaridus, the largest meteor shower that occurs during the spring with up to 50 meteors per hour. The only downside is that the radiant sign, Aquarius, doesn’t rise from the southeastern sky until around 4 a.m. local time, which means you’ll have to wake up very early or stay up very late to catch it. On the plus side, the moon will have set by then, which means the moon won’t get in the way of seeing this meteor shower.
Alpha Capricorn
when: July 12 to August 12
Peak date: From 29 to 30 July
Maximum meteor rate: 5 meteors per hour
radiant: Capricorn
Alpha Capricornids are a small meteor shower that comes from comet 169P/NEAT. It’s not a powerful barrage, but it does have the advantage of producing some fairly large fireballs. It is also equally visible in the southern and northern hemispheres. The radiant for this is Capricorn, which streams across the southern sky and will be visible all night during its peak. Fortunately, the moon won’t be very full, so it won’t obstruct the view too much.
Buckeyes in the southern Delta
when: July 28 to August 12
Peak date: From 29 to 30 July
Maximum meteor rate: 25 meteors per hour
radiant: Aquarius
The alpha of Capricorn is often overshadowed by the southern Aquarians of Delta. This meteor shower peaks early, just a day or two after it officially begins, and then disappears until mid-August. Its early peak puts it on the same day as Alpha Capricornids, so if you see a meteor on July 29 or 30, it likely came from either. The radiant for this is Aquarius, which is right next to Capricorn, making the two signs a great pairing. Researchers aren’t 100% sure which comet is giving us the Southern Delta Delta, though the best guess right now is 96P/Machholz.
Perseids
Star trails and meteors from the Perseid meteor shower are visible above Sutton Courtenay, a small village in Oxfordshire, in this undated image.
when: July 17 to August 23
Peak date: August. 12 to 13
Maximum meteor rate: 100 meteors per hour
radiant: Perseus
The Perseids are one of the major space events that take place during the summer. It comes from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle and is one of the busiest meteor showers of the year. Additionally, it occurs during the summer, which is ideal weather for meteor showers. The radiant is Perseus, which rises from the northeastern sky relatively early in the evening and stays up all night. The only downside is that the Moon will be nearly full during Perseid peak in 2025, making it more difficult to see smaller meteors.
Southern Trades
when: From September 23 to November 4
Peak date: October 10 to 11
Maximum meteor rate: 5 meteors per hour
radiant: Taurus
The Southern Taurids are one of the longest meteor showers of the year, lasting more than a month. It’s not a particularly active meteor shower, but since it occurs during several other meteor showers, you may spot one while looking for another. This comet is fueled by Comet 2P/Encke and peaks two weeks after Halloween. This is paired with the northern Taurids to create the Taurids meteor shower. However, they peak on different days, so they are often listed as separate meteor showers.
Orionides
when: From October 2 to November 12
Peak date: October 22 to 23
Maximum meteor rate: 20 meteors per hour
radiant: Orion
The Orionids are a reasonably active meteor shower that often occurs during October. It also has the advantage that it comes from the famous Halley’s Comet just like the Eta Aquaridan shower. Unlike Eta Aquarius, Orionids emerge from the constellation Orion, which rises from the eastern sky in October. Also, the moon will be almost new, so its sky will be one of the darkest of any meteor shower this year.
Dragonians
when: From October 6 to October 10
Peak date: October 8
Maximum meteor rate: 10 meteors per hour
radiant: Draco
Draconid is a small meteor shower, the shortest on the list, lasting for four days. It descends from comet 21/P Giacobini-Zimmer and has a fairly good peak at about 10 meteors per hour. The peak occurs only two days after its start, and then the meteor shower ends after two days. The source of the Draconids’ radiation is Draco, which lies between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper, making it relatively easy to find in the night sky.
Northern Taurids
when: October 13 to December 1
Peak date: November. 8 to 9
Maximum meteor rate: 5 meteors per hour
radiant: Taurus
The North Taurus is the other half of the Taurus meteor shower and this one lasts longer, extending from mid-October through December. It peaks about halfway through on November 8, a few weeks later than its southern counterpart. Otherwise, the two are almost identical. Both are fed by comet 2P/Encke and produce at their best about five meteors per hour. For now, researchers believe this shower comes from a different part of the path of Comet Enki, which is why it is listed separately from its southern cousin.
Leonides
when: From November 3 to December 2
Peak date: November. 16 to 17
Maximum meteor rate: 15 meteors per hour
radiant: Leo
Just a few days after the northern Leonids peak, the Leonid shower will also reach its peak. Leonids, created by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, will come from the constellation Leo, which rises in the eastern sky around 2 a.m. local time for most of its path. This meteor shower is larger than the Taurids but smaller than the Orionids. Since all four intersect during the first week of November, it can be difficult to know which meteor shower the shooting star is coming from. This is especially true because Taurus, Leo, and Orion are all in the eastern sky at this time of year. Leonids often have fast, bright meteors that leave a trail, which may be the only way to distinguish a Leonid meteor from the other three showers.
Jiminides
when: From December 4th to December 20th
Peak date: From 14 to 15 December
Maximum meteor rate: 120 meteors per hour
radiant: twin
The Geminids are one of the largest meteor showers of the year, peaking less than two weeks before Christmas. It was created by comet Phaethon 3200 and can display up to 120 meteors per hour under the right conditions. Geminids are known for their brighter, slower-moving meteors, making them easier to see in brighter areas like cities or suburbs. It takes place during the cold season, but can be a great show if viewed from outside the big city.
Ursids
when: From December 17th to December 26th
Peak date: From 22 to 23 December
Maximum meteor rate: 10 meteors per hour
radiant: Little bear
The Ursids begin immediately after the peak of the Geminids and continue until the day after Christmas. Since the Geminids end before Christmas, it is statistically likely that if you see a Christmas movie that contains a shooting star, it probably came from the Ursids. The shower reaches its peak on the evening of December 22 from the constellation Ursa Minor, which is easily visible in the night sky for most of the evening. Much like Draconids, they disappear as quickly as they appear, lasting only nine days in total.
Quatrains
when:: December 12, 2025 to January 12, 2026
Peak date: From January 3 to 4, 2026
Maximum meteor rate: 120 meteors per hour
radiant: Big Dipper
The year ends the same way it begins with the Quandrantids meteor shower. It begins in early December and ends with the New Year. Thus, although it has the distinction of being the only meteor shower that occurs twice a year, the peak is always in the first few days of January. Otherwise, it is the same meteor shower as the Quadrantids mentioned above. So, we’ll use this space to introduce a fun fact. Most meteor showers are fueled by comets, which are pieces of ice that float through the universe and leave long trails, through which, when the Earth moves, meteors are formed. However, the Quadrantids are fueled by 2003 EH, which is an asteroid and not a comet. Researchers believe that 2003 EH is likely a comet that died and became an asteroid.