Understanding Meteor Showers: The Pleiades, the Perseid and More

The planet Earth is almost always experiencing a meteor shower. Most meteor showers are quite 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 are produce only a handful of meteors per hour, while others will sometimes produce meteor storms, producing a meteor every few seconds or minutes.

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

Partially coinciding with the Lyrids are the the Eta Aquarids. This meteor shower starts on April 19th and lasts until May 28th, peaking between May 4th to May 6th. The Eta Aquarids radiant is in the constellation of Aquarius near the bright star Eta Aquarii. The source of the Eta Aquarids is the infamous Halley's Comet. This meteor shower is best seen when viewed during the early morning hours before sunrise, away from city lights.

The Arietids Meteor Shower

The Arietids shower is a very long event, lasting from May 22nd to July 2nd of each year, peaking around June 7th. This meteor shower is a relatively new event in our history, having only been discovered in 1947. What is most spectacular about the Arietids shower is that it is the strongest daylight shower of the

entire year. The cosmic body that is the source of the Arietids is unknown, however some scientists and astronomers believe that it comes from the asteroid called 1566 Icarus.

The South Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower

The South Delta Aquarids shower occurs between the dates of July 12th and August 19th, peaking around July 28th. The radiant of this shower lies in the constellation of Aquarius, however the celestial body that causes this event is unknown. The South Delta Aquarids are a very strong shower, with rates of about 15-20 meteors per hour and a possible peak rate of 60 meteors per hour. This shower can be viewed from almost anywhere away from city lights, however it is best seen in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Perseids Meteor Shower

The Perseids shower beings on July 17th and ends on August 24th, peaking on August 12th. The Perseids are definitely one of the most popular meteor showers that occur. The Perseids radiant is in the constellation of Perseus, and the celestial body that creates them is the Comet Swift-Tuttle. The rate of meteors during the Perseids shower is quite high, and in optimum viewing conditions, between 60-90 meteors per hour can be seen during its peak.

The Orionids Meteor Shower

October brings us the Orionids shower between October 2nd and November 7th. This shower peaks on October 21st. The Orionids are another extremely strong shower, with as many as 60 meteors being viewed per hour at its peak. During the days before and after its peak, as many as 5-10 meteors can be viewed per hour. The radiant of the Orionids is the constellation of Orion, and like the Eta Aquarids shower, the cosmic parent body of the Orionids is Halley's Comet.

The Leonids Meteor Shower

The Leonids definitely deserve an honorable mention in our list of strong meteor showers, however the Leonid shower is quite irregular. This is one of the more well-known meteor showers, occurring between November 14th and November 21st, peaking around November 17th. Some years, the Leonid shower puts on quite a show with multiple meteors falling per minute, however most often, the rate of meteors is about one meteor every two or more minutes. The Leonids radiant lies in the constellation of Leo, and are formed by the Comet Tempel-Tuttle.

The Geminids Meteor Shower

The Geminids are the last strong meteor shower of the year. Occurring between December 7th and December 17th, this meteor shower peaks on December 14th. The Geminid shower was first observed 150 years ago, and seem to be intensifying in strength each year. Recent showers have consisted of as many as 120-160 meteors per hour when viewed in optimum conditions. The Geminids radiant lies in the constellation of Gemini, and the cosmic parent of this meteor shower is believed to be 3200 Phaethon, which astronomers believe is an extinct comet.