This year’s Quadrantids (QUA) peak at 1500 UT on the 3rd of January. The best time to view will be after midnight when the radiant will be high in the North East. Rates of up to 60 an hour are possible and the waxing crescent Moon will not interfere too much. Note that rates tail off quite slowly and its possible you may continue to see high rates and the occasional fireball for a week or so after the peak.
There are no other significant showers till April, though there are a few minor showers.
The Comae Berenicids (COM) are active from December through to February, though rates will be under three per hour. This year’s gamma-Ursae Minorids (GUM) on 18th of January will be badly affected by moonlight. There are no meteor showers in March but the Anthelion Source is active through the spring. This large, diffuse source of meteors drifts through Virgo and Libra, heading for Scorpius.
The next major shower is the April Lyrids (LYR) which peak on the afternoon of 22nd April and will be affected by the waning Moon, though if skies are clear, you may see rates of around twelve per hour. The η-Aquariids (ETA) shortly after will be unaffected by moonlight but they are only really visible in the early morning. The peak is on the morning of the 6th of May but some will be seen from mid-April onwards so on any clear early morning you may see them. The Moon will have set, but dawn will be at 4am so you won’t have much of a window. Rates of ten per hour are possible.
Back to minor showers, the Eta Lyrids (ELY) peak on the 10th of May but will be washed out by a nearly Full Moon. The June Bootids (JBO) peak between 20th and 25th of June. Their strength is very variable – anything from zero to 100 per hour! Nothing unusual is expected this year but more observations are required so do keep an eye out. All other showers during May and June are daytime showers and so you’ll need a radio receiver to detect them. There are details of how to build one on our website.
Mark McIntyre, Meteor Section Director