Meteor showers are (mostly) annual events that draw stargazers out in the wee hours all over the world all throughout the year. 

It’s easy to track and identify each meteor shower based on its apparent origin in the night sky and where Earth is located in its orbit around the sun. Each shower happens when Earth passes through the cloud of debris left behind by comets and, since we can track comets and their orbits around our sun, we can also track the meteor showers!

Over 100 meteor showers occur each year all over the world, but only a few of them are strong enough, frequent enough and bright enough for us to see them blazing through the night sky. It’s easy to watch them, too — you just need some stargazing tools, a sense of adventure and some coffee to keep you awake through the darkest hours of the night. 

Here are the 9 biggest meteor showers that occur annually and what you can expect from them!

9 major meteor showers you can watch annually

Quadrantids

Month: late December – mid-January

Meteors per hour: 25

Best seen from: northern hemisphere

Parent body: (196256) 2003 EH1

The Quadrantids meteor shower is a spectacular annual event that occurs between late December and early January, making it one of the first meteor showers of the year. The exact start and end dates vary a little each year, but you can’t go wrong planning around this stunning stellar display.

Not all meteor showers are the same, and while you can’t expect long streaks of light trailing behind these meteors, you can expect to see more bright fireball flashes than most other showers. Be aware that the average hourly rate is lower than most at around 25 meteors per hour, but they’re still well worth the wait!

Lyrids

Month: April

Meteors per hour: 18

Best seen from: northern hemisphere

Parent body:  Comet C/1861 G1

This shower is a pretty reliable shower that produces at least three nights’ worth of decent meteors. The meteors won’t have many long trains and are more likely to produce fireballs, since they move a little slower than the Eta Aquarids, which occur almost around the same time. 

Eta Aquarids

Month: mid-April – late May

Meteors per hour: 50

Best seen from: Southern tropics

Parent body: Comet 1P/Halley

Because the radiant (the point on the sky from where the meteors appear to originate) lies relatively low in the southern hemisphere, all we can see from here in the north are the few outliers that are strong enough to leave a trail. 

Southern Delta Aquarids

Month: mid-July – late August

Meteors per hour: 16

Best seen from: southern tropics

Parent body:  Comet 96P/Machholz (not confirmed)

If you’re in Hawaii or South Florida and have a better view of the southern skies, then you might catch a glimpse of this meteor shower around the week that it peaks. Otherwise, you’ll have a hard time glimpsing these slower, weaker meteors from anywhere further north. 

Perseids

Month: mid-July – late August

Meteors per hour: 100

Best seen from: northern hemisphere

Parent body: Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle

This meteor shower is one of the more popular ones here in the northern hemisphere. Occurring during late summer and averaging a whopping 100-150 meteors per hour at its peak, this stunning display of celestial wonder is named for the constellation from which it appears to originate — Perseus “the hero.”

Orionids

Month: early October – late November

Meteors per hour: 20

Best seen from: northern hemisphere

Parent body: Comet 1P/Halley

The Orionids originate from the rocky debris of Halley’s Comet, a magnificent comet that passes by Earth every 75 years and has been recorded by ancient human civilizations since as early as 240 B.C.!

Leonids

Month: November

Meteors per hour: 15

Best seen from: northern hemisphere

Parent body: Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle

The Leonids have been known for some truly amazing showers that have coincided with Comet Tempel-Tuttle’s approach to our sun. Based on predictions, however, the next few years aren’t expected to have particularly high rates, and apparently we'll have to wait until 2099 to see anything really spectacular coming from the Leonids. 

Geminids

Month: December

Meteors per hour: 150 

Best seen from: northern hemisphere

Parent body: (3200) Phaethon

The Geminids are one of the most powerful and energetic meteor showers of the year. They’re slower than most so the trains are not as magnificent as, say, the eta Aquarids or the Leonids, but they’re more colorful and bright than most and have decent fireballs. 

Ursids

Month: mid- to late- December

Meteors per hour: 10

Best seen from: Northern hemisphere

Parent body: Comet 8P/Tuttle

The Ursids are a small but reliable meteor shower that typically peaks just before Christmas, so it’s a great chance to do some family stargazing in the hopes of catching Santa and his sleigh streaking across the sky!

Where you can watch meteor showers

The best places to watch the night sky are dark places — and that’s pretty much all you need to know!

Nowadays, though, dark night skies can be difficult to find and are all the more difficult if you live in a metropolitan area. Not impossible, mind you, just tricky. 

State and national parks often offer pockets of darkness, but proximity to cities can still dampen the starlight. Remember, even if the park isn't far from town, it's likely the darkest nearby option. Just double-check if access after dark is allowed and if camping reservations are required.

If you can travel further, your options start to expand. National forests, with their abundance of quiet clearings and dirt roads, offer seclusion and deeper darkness than most rural areas. Remember to only pull over on country roads if it's legal and doesn't impede traffic.

Websites like Dark Sky Finder and Light Pollution Map are your trusty companions in this quest. They’ll help you pinpoint the darkest spots around, turning your stargazing adventure into a bona-fide, data-driven excursion.

Don’t forget about astronomy clubs and stargazing events! People who have been stargazing in your city for years will have a wealth of information on the best viewing locations near you. Connect with one and tap into their local expertise.

Remember, always prioritize safety and respect for the environment, especially when spending dark nights in delicate ecosystems. Leave no trace and follow local regulations to ensure a responsible and unforgettable stargazing experience!

If you live anywhere in the continental United States, then be sure to check out our regional guides on stargazing around the country.

• Where to go stargazing in Atlanta
• Where to go stargazing in Austin
• Where to go stargazing in Chicago
• Where to go stargazing in Dallas
• Where to go stargazing in Seattle
• Where to go stargazing in Southern California
• Where to go stargazing in South Florida

Enjoy!

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Featured photo by Michał Mancewicz on Unsplash