Stars & Planets

3-4th January 
The radiant is located in the northern sky near the constellation Bootes, making it visible primarily in the Northern Hemisphere. The best time to view the Quadrantids is after midnight, when the radiant is higher. Unlike other showers, its peak is sharp and brief, lasting only a few hours.

22-23rd April
Although some meteors can be visible from April 16th – 25th.
The Lyrids are an average shower, usually producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This year we may be a little glared out by moonlight but they are still worth looking out for.

They often produce luminous trains of dust that can be observed for several seconds.

Look for meteors radiating from the constellation of Lyra after midnight.

7-8th May
The Eta Aquarids are a light shower, usually producing about 10 meteors per hour at their peak.
however viewing should be good on any morning from May 4th – 7th.

The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Aquarius. Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight.

12-13th August
The Perseids is one of the best meteor showers to observe, usually producing up to 60 meteors per hour at their peak. Meteors can be seen any time from July 23rd – August 22nd.

Viewing The Perseids in 2023
This should be a spectacular show! A nearly new Moon gives lovely dark skies. The Perseids are so bright and numerous that it could still be an amazing show. The peak of the meteor shower is on the evening of both the 12th and 13th of August. Meteors will seem like they’re all over the sky but will look like they are radiating from the constellation Perseus which rises in the east at about 22:00.

21-22nd October
The Orionids is an average shower producing about 20 meteors per hour at their peak. This shower usually peaks on the 21st, but it is highly irregular. A good show could be experienced on any morning from October 20th – 24th, and some meteors may be seen any time from October 17th – 25th.

Best viewing will be to the east in the pre-dawn hours although meteors will be seen anytime once Orion has risen – its best to look about 30 degrees away from the radiant point. They are known to be fast and faint meteors but there may be a few fireballs too. This shower produces a peak rate of 20 yellow and green meteors per hour, which are especially fast moving.

September – December
The Taurids go on for a while – they are a drawn out but weak shower. However, they are famous for giving spectacular slow moving fireballs in the sky!

There are two Taurids, the north and south.

The south Taurids peak at the beginning of November and the north Taurids in the middle of November. Together the two showers combine to give us fireballs anytime from the end of September to the end of December!

You might have to be patient but it’s worth it! Or you may catch one of these fireballs by accident so keep on looking up – about 30˚ away from the radiant point of Taurus. Best time to view is between midnight and 3 in the morning – look east, south east. Enjoy!

17-18th November
The Leonids is one of the better meteor showers to observe, producing an average of 40 meteors per hour at their peak.

The shower itself has a cyclic peak year every 33 years where hundreds of meteors can be seen each hour, the last of these occurred in 2001 and it is not predicted for this year.
You may see some meteors from November 13th – 20th.

Best viewing will be to the east in the pre-dawn hours although meteors will be seen anytime once Leo has risen. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Leo after midnight although it’s best to look about 30 degrees away from the radiant point.

13-14th December
Considered by many to be the best meteor shower in the heavens, some meteors should be visible from 6th – 19th December. The radiant point for this shower will be in the constellation Gemini.

Best viewing is usually to the east after midnight. The Geminids are characterized by their multi-coloured display, 65% being white, 26% yellow and the remaining 9% blue, red and green and can give us as many as 120 meteors an hour. Look for the shower radiating from the constellation Gemini after midnight although it’s best to look about 30 degrees away from the radiant point.

This shower is a result of the Earth passing through the path of asteroid 3200 Phaethon. This is a mysterious body that is sometimes referred to as a ‘rock comet’.