Yes, thanks Mike. Bump. Nudge nudge wink wink.
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Happy National Bean Counter Day! 🫘🔢🧮
Yes, thanks Mike. Bump. Nudge nudge wink wink.
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Goonstroke, thanks for the nudge nudge wink wink, I needed to mark my 2021 tripping journal calendar with yellow highlighter slashes on the peak nights of meteor showers, as a vibrant eye catching reminder, and update the printed sheet I carry with the specific information below, so I can take a glance and repeat what I just read, sounding astronomically knowledgeable.
FWIW the “Period of activity”, weeks or sometimes months long, does not change much year-to-year, and the “Peak night” is usually only a day on side or the other. The concurrent moon phase is the more important viewing occlusion; we are not blessed with a lot of near new-moon opportunities this year.
I eliminated a couple of more minor meteor showers from the list due to near full moon timing. Please feel free to cut, paste and print the below, so you too can sneak a look and sound like you know what the heck you are talking about. I highly recommend highlighter-slashing the peak dates on a paper calendar as a noticeable reminder.
2021 Meteor Showers
Quadrantids
Next period of activity: December 27th to January 10th, 2021
The Quadrantids have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year but usually fall short due to the short length of maximum activity (6 hours). The average hourly rates one can expect under dark skies is 25. These meteors usually lack persistent trains but often produce bright fireballs. Due to the high northerly declination (celestial latitude) these meteors are not well seen from the southern hemisphere.
The Quadrantids will peak on the Jan 2-3, 2021, a couple days before the half moon.
Lyrids
Next period of activity: April 16[SUP]th[/SUP] to April 28th, 2021
The Lyrids are a medium strength shower that usually produces good rates for three nights centered on the maximum. These meteors also usually lack persistent trains but can produce fireballs. These meteors are best seen from the northern hemisphere where the radiant is high in the sky at dawn.
Next Peak - The Lyrids will next peak on the Apr 22-23, 2021, a few days after the half moon.
eta Aquariids
April 19[SUP]th[/SUP] to May 28th, 2021
From the equator northward, they usually only produce medium rates of 10-30 per hour just before dawn. Activity is good for a week centered the night of maximum activity. These are swift meteors that produce a high percentage of persistent trains, but few fireballs.
Next Peak - The eta Aquariids will next peak on the May 6, 2021, six days before the full moon.
Southern delta Aquariids
July 12[SUP]th[/SUP] to August 23rd, 2021
North of the equator the radiant is located lower in the southern sky and therefore rates are less than seen from further south. These meteors produce good rates for a week centered on the night of maximum. These are usually faint meteors that lack both persistent trains and fireballs.
Next Peak - The Southern delta Aquariids will next peak on the July 28, 2021, three days before the half moon.
Perseids
July 17[SUP]th[/SUP] to August 26th, 2021
The Perseids are active from July 17 to August 24. They reach a strong maximum on August 12 or 13, depending on the year. Normal rates seen from rural locations range from 50-75 shower members per hour at maximum.
Next Peak - The Perseids will next peak on the August 12, 2021 night, 3 days before the half moon.
Orionids
October 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] to November 7th, 2021
The Orionids are a medium strength shower that sometimes reaches high strength activity. In a normal year the Orionids produce 10-20 shower members at maximum. In exceptional years, such as 2006-2009, the peak rates were on par with the Perseids (50-75 per hour). Recent displays have produced low to average displays of this shower.
Next Peak - The Orionids will next peak on the Oct 21-22, 2021, just after the full moon.
Northern Taurids
October 20[SUP]th[/SUP] December 10th, 2021
This shower is much like the Southern Taurids, just active a bit later in the year. When the two showers are active simultaneously in late October and early November, there is sometimes an notable increase in the fireball activity. There seems to be a seven year periodicity with these fireballs. 2008 and 2015 both produced remarkable fireball activity.
Next Peak - The Northern Taurids will next peak on the Nov 4. On the night of the new moon!
Leonids
November 6[SUP]th[/SUP] to November 30th, 2021
The Leonids are best known for producing meteor storms in the years of 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999, and 2001. Unfortunately it appears that the earth will not encounter any dense clouds of debris until 2099. The best we can hope for now until the year 2030 is peaks of around 15 shower members per hour and perhaps an occasional weak outburst when the earth passes near a debris trail. The Leonids are often bright meteors with a high percentage of persistent trains.
Next Peak - The Leonids will next peak on the Nov 17, two days before the full moon (boo-hiss! but note partial lunar eclipse two nights later).
Geminids
December 4[SUP]th[/SUP] to December 17th, 2021
The Geminids are usually the strongest meteor shower of the year. This is the one major shower that provides good activity prior to midnight as the constellation of Gemini is well placed from 22:00 onward. The Geminids are often bright and intensely colored. Due to their medium-slow velocity, persistent trains are not usually seen.
Next Peak - The Geminids will next peak on the Dec 13-14, 2021, two days after the half moon.
Stay up late or get up early, you never know just what you’ll see in the night sky.
Note: There will be a total lunar eclipse visible in western North America on May 26[SUP]th[/SUP], and a partial lunar eclipse visible across most of North America on November 19.
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