Meteor Showers 2025: Meteor Shower Calendar
This guide has everything you need to know about the upcoming meteor showers â including the dates of activity, best time to view, radiant location, and number of shooting stars per hour. We also provide tips on observing meteors in the sky and answer the most popular questions about shooting stars. If you want to have a handy meteor shower calendar in your pocket, download the Sky Tonight app.
Contents
- Best Meteor Showers 2025
- Quadrantidsâ peak: January 2-3 đ
- Lyridsâ peak: April 21-22 đ
- Eta Aquariidsâ peak: May 5-6
- Southern Delta Aquariidsâ peak: July 30-31 đ
- Perseidsâ peak: August 11-12
- Orionidsâ peak: October 20-21 đ
- Taurid âswarmâ: around November 3
- Leonidsâ peak: November 17-18 đ
- Geminidsâ peak: December 13-14 đ
- Ursidsâ peak: December 22-23 đ
- How to see a meteor shower?
- F.A.Q.
- Shooting stars 2025: Bottom line
Best Meteor Showers 2025
In the list below, weâve included notable meteor showers that will occur in 2025. All of them have a zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of at least 10 meteors per hour. Weâve added a star emoji to particularly promising showers with favorable observation conditions.
Quadrantidsâ peak: January 2-3 đ
- Meteors/hour: 80
- Meteor color: yellow and orange
- Moon illumination: 15%
- Active: Dec 28 - Jan 12
- Radiant location: Bootes
- Parent body: Asteroid 2003 EH1
- Visible from: Northern Hemisphere
The first meteor shower of the year â the mighty Quadrantids â is a marvelous sight to see. Under suitable conditions, this meteor stream can provide dozens of shooting stars per hour. This year, observing conditions are favorable as the peak occurs during the waxing crescent Moon. Start looking for the Quadrantid meteors after midnight. You can continue your meteor hunt until January 12, as the Quadrantids are known to produce bright fireballs even after the peak.
Lyridsâ peak: April 21-22 đ
- Meteors/hour: 18
- Meteor color: white and blue
- Moon illumination: 38%
- Active: Apr 14-30
- Radiant location: Lyra
- Parent body: Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher
- Visible from: everywhere
According to the International Meteor Organization, the Lyrids are a medium-strength meteor shower that can occasionally produce bright fireballs. In 2025, viewing conditions are fine: the waning crescent Moon wonât be too much of a problem. Itâs better to start looking for the Lyridsâ meteors after about 22:30 local time in mid-northern sites and after midnight in mid-southern sites.
Eta Aquariidsâ peak: May 5-6
- Meteors/hour: 50
- Meteor color: white
- Moon illumination: 72%
- Active: Apr 19 - May 28
- Radiant location: Aquarius
- Parent body: Halleyâs Comet
- Visible from: everywhere
On a clear dark night, the Eta Aquariids can produce up to 50 meteors per hour if you watch them from the southern latitudes. North of the equator, you can see 10-30 shooting stars per hour. Although the Moon will be 72% illuminated, it will set soon after midnight, so the sky will be dark and moonless during the peak. It is best to observe the Eta Aquariids in the hours before dawn.
Southern Delta Aquariidsâ peak: July 30-31 đ
- Meteors/hour: 25
- Meteor color: white
- Moon illumination: 42%
- Active: Jul 12 - Aug 23
- Radiant location: Aquarius
- Parent body: Comet 96P/Machholz
- Visible from: everywhere
The Southern Delta Aquariids are another prolific meteor shower that is best observed from the Southern Hemisphere. Its meteors are quite faint and hard to spot under imperfect observation conditions. The Moon will be nearly half-lit but will set in the late evening and wonât interfere with observations. The radiant rises in mid-evening and reaches its highest point around 2 a.m. local time â this is the best time to view the meteors.
Perseidsâ peak: August 11-12
- Meteors/hour: 100
- Meteor color: white
- Moon illumination: 91%
- Active: Jul 17 - Aug 24
- Radiant location: Perseus
- Parent body: Comet SwiftâTuttle
- Visible from: Northern Hemisphere
The Perseids are rightfully considered the best meteor shower of the year north of the equator: they peak during warm August nights and produce lots of swift and bright meteors. Unfortunately, in 2025, the Perseids will reach their peak shortly after the Full Moon; a bright lunar disc will be lighting up the sky all night, badly affecting the number of visible meteors. A good way to reduce this effect is to hide from the moonlight in the shadow of a tall building or a tree. The best time to observe the Perseids is the predawn hours.
Orionidsâ peak: October 20-21 đ
- Meteors/hour: 20
- Meteor color: mostly white; sometimes red, green, and yellow
- Moon illumination: 0%
- Active: Oct 2 - Nov 7
- Radiant location: Orion
- Parent body: Halley's Comet
- Visible from: everywhere
The Orionids are a medium-strength meteor shower capable of showing occasional bursts of activity. For instance, according to the American Meteor Society, in 2006-2009, the Orionidsâ peak rates nearly rivaled those of the Perseids, reaching 50-75 meteors per hour. This year, observing conditions are ideal, as the meteor shower peaks on the night of the New Moon. Watch for Orionid meteors starting from midnight until dawn.
Taurid âswarmâ: around November 3
Every few years, the two branches of the Taurid meteor shower (the Northern and Southern Taurids) show an increase in their activity. This happens when Earth passes through the so-called Taurid âswarmâ â a dense cluster of meteoroids within the Taurid meteor stream. Astronomers expect the next encounter with the swarm to occur in 2025! For about a week around November 3, youâll have an opportunity to see bright Taurid meteors and fireballs. Unfortunately, the celestial show will be spoiled by the Full Moon, which will occur on November 5. Try to block out the bright moonlight by a building or a tree to see more meteors.
Leonidsâ peak: November 17-18 đ
- Meteors/hour: 10-15
- Meteor color: white
- Moon illumination: 7%
- Active: Nov 6-30
- Radiant location: Leo
- Parent body: Comet Tempel-Tuttle
- Visible from: everywhere
The Leonids are most famous for producing spectacular meteor storms: for instance, in 1966, observers in the United States reported seeing 40 to 50 meteors per second, although much more often, we see the usual 10 meteors per hour. In 2025, the Leonids will peak three days before the New Moon, so moonlight will present minimal interference. The Leonidsâ radiant rises around midnight and reaches the highest point in the sky at dawn.
Geminidsâ peak: December 13-14 đ
- Meteors/hour: 150
- Meteor color: white, blue, yellow, green, red
- Moon illumination: 27%
- Active: Dec 4-20
- Radiant location: Gemini
- Parent body: Asteroid 3200 Phaethon
- Visible from: everywhere
The Geminids are one of the most spectacular meteor showers of the year. Their meteors are bright, plentiful, intensely colored, and slower moving. In 2025, viewing conditions are favorable as the Moon is in the waning crescent phase. North of the equator, the Geminidsâ radiant rises around sunset, so you can start observations already in the evening. In the Southern Hemisphere, the radiant appears in the sky around local midnight and culminates at about 2 a.m. local time.
Ursidsâ peak: December 22-23 đ
- Meteors/hour: 10
- Meteor color: mostly white and yellow
- Moon illumination: 6%
- Active: Dec 17-26
- Radiant location: Ursa Minor
- Parent body: Comet 8P/Tuttle
- Visible from: Northern Hemisphere
The Ursids are a minor meteor shower that always peaks around the December solstice and produces 5-10 shooting stars per hour. This shower is often neglected because the mighty Geminids occur just a week before it. In 2025, you should definitely give the Ursids a chance, as they will occur just two days after the New Moon, so the sky will be dark. The Ursidsâ radiant never sets below the horizon in northern locations, so you can observe the meteor shower all night.
This was our list of the most noteworthy meteor showers of 2025. If you want to know about all of the yearâs meteor showers and their peak dates, consult the Calendar in Sky Tonight: tap the calendar icon at the bottom of the screen, and open the Meteors tab.
How to see a meteor shower?
Here are a few basic tips that will help you enhance your meteor-watching experience. If youâd like to test your meteor-hunting knowledge and skills, take our quiz on how to catch a shooting star!
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Check the weather forecast. Clear skies are necessary to see the maximum number of meteors â clouds, rain, and snow can easily ruin your observations. You can check the weather forecast for any nearest date in the Visible Tonight section of our stargazing app Sky Tonight.
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Dress warmly. You may get pretty cold while waiting for meteors to appear. So take some extra clothes with you even if itâs summer outside. A hot drink will also help you stay warm.
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Bring a blanket or deck chair. Meteor-hunting involves a lot of looking up, so instead of standing, itâs better to lie on a blanket or sit on a reclining chair. Your neck will be grateful to you!
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Look towards the zenith. Meteors seem to originate from the meteor showerâs radiant, but in practice, they can appear anywhere in the sky. So the more of the sky you see, the better your chance is to spot a shooting star. The best practice here is to lie flat on your back and look straight up.
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Use a red-colored flashlight. Unlike ordinary flashlights, a red-colored one will preserve your night vision. To make a red-colored flashlight, you can simply wrap a piece of red cellophane around your standard flashlight.
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Avoid looking at your phone. Your smartphoneâs bright screen is bad for night vision, so you should avoid using it. If you need to consult a stargazing app, turn the Night Mode on â it will be a little easier on your eyes.
You can get more tips on observing and photographing meteor showers from our dedicated article.
F.A.Q.
What is a meteor?
A meteor, or âshooting starâ, is a bright streak of light in the sky. It is created when tiny particles of cometary or asteroidal dust (called meteoroids) burn up in the Earthâs atmosphere. If you want to learn more about the differences between meteors, meteoroids, and meteorites, check out our quiz.
How fast do meteors travel?
According to the American Meteor Society, grains of space dust (soon-to-be meteors) enter the Earthâs atmosphere at speeds ranging from 11 km/sec to 72 km/sec. The Leonids are considered to produce some of the fastest meteors of all.
What color are shooting stars?
Meteors can take different colors depending on the meteoroidâs chemical composition and the interaction of its atoms with the molecules in the atmosphere. Here are the main meteor colors (with the corresponding chemical elements in brackets):
- White (iron or aluminum)
- Orange-yellow (sodium)
- Yellow (iron)
- Blue-green (magnesium)
- Violet (calcium)
- Red (atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen)
What is a meteor storm?
A meteor storm is a meteor shower that produces more than 1,000 meteors per hour. They occur when the Earth passes through a very dense part of a cometâs debris trail. The most spectacular meteor storm in recent history was the Leonids outburst in 1966.
Shooting stars 2025: Bottom line
This year is very favorable in terms of meteor viewing conditions: almost all the major meteor showers â including the Quadrantids, Orionids, and Geminids â reach their maximum activity when the sky is dark. The only disappointment is the much-loved Perseids, which will peak shortly after the Full Moon. To prepare for a successful meteor hunt, check out our useful infographic.
