Best Arkansas Meteor Showers

Below is a simlulation of a meteor shower. Below the simulation, color coded by season, is a list of the best showers visible during the year, both in Arkansas and most of the northern hemisphere. Click the meteor shower’s button to see it simulated below.

Quadrantids

  • Peak: January 3rd
  • Rate: 120

Lyrids

  • Peak: April 22
  • Rate: 18

eta Aquarids

  • Peak: May 5
  • Rate: 60

Southern delta Aquarids

  • Peak: July 30
  • Rate: 20

Perseids

  • Peak: August 12
  • Rate: 100
meteor showers

A Geminid meteor shoots between the Big Dipper and Arcturus.

Orionids

  • Peak: October 21
  • Rate: 23

Southern Taurids

  • Peak: Nov. 5
  • Rate: 5

Leonids

  • Peak: Nov. 18
  • Rate: 15

Geminids

  • Peak: Dec. 14
  • Rate: 120

Ursids

  • Peak: Dec. 22
  • Rate: 10

Viewing Meteor Showers

Most meteor showers are best viewed in the pre-dawn hours.  You’ll want to find an area away from city lights and lay back on a blanket or comfortable recliner.  Face in the direction of the radiant or away from the moon toward a darker area of sky. 

Table of Primary Showers

ShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityMax.
  DateR.A.Dec.km/sZHR
Quadrantids (QUA)Dec 28-Jan 073-Jan15:20+49.7°40.2120
Lyrids (LYR)Apr 14-Apr 3022-Apr18:10+33.3°46.818
eta Aquarids (ETA)Apr 20-May 265-May22:30-01.1°65.560
Southern delta Aquarids (SDA)Jul 17-Aug 1230-Jul22:42-16.4°40.420
Perseids (PER)Jul 22-Aug 2312-Aug3:13+58.0°58.8100
Orionids (ORI)Oct 03-Nov 1221-Oct6:19+15.6°66.123
Leonids (LEO)Nov 03-Dec 0218-Nov10:16+21.6°7015
Geminids (GEM)Nov 13-Dec 2214-Dec7:36+32.2°33.8120
Ursids (URS)Dec 16-Dec 2622-Dec14:36+75.3°3310

Table of Minor Showers

ShowerActivity PeriodMaximumRadiantVelocityMax.
DateR.A.Dec.km/sZHR
Anthelion Source (ANT)Dec 22-Sep 27303
eta Lyrids (ELY)Apr 30-May 2110-May19:22+43.5°443
alpha Capricornids (CAP)Jul 12-Aug 1230-Jul20:24-09.3°22.24
kappa Cygnids (KCG)Jul 28-Sep 0218-Aug19:13+53.4°22.93
Aurigids (AUR)Aug 26-Sep 041-Sep6:04+39.2°65.46
September epsilon Perseids (SPE)Sep 02-Sep 239-Sep3:10+39.5°64.25
epsilon Geminids (EGE)Sep 27-Nov 0818-Oct6:45+28.2°68.52
Leonis Minorids (LMI)Oct 13-Nov 0321-Oct10:35+37.2°61.42
Southern Taurids (STA)Sep 22-Dec 025-Nov3:35+14.4°27.75
Northern Taurids (NTA)Oct 13-Dec 0212-Nov3:55+22.8°27.65
November Orionids (NOO)Nov 13-Dec 1230-Nov6:06+15.4°42.33
sigma Hydrids (HYD)Nov 22-Dec 267-Dec8:17+02.9°58.83
Monocerotids (MON)Nov 17-Dec 2611-Dec6:44+08.2°412
Coma Berenicids (COM)Dec 12-Dec 2315-Dec11:40+18.0°655
December Leonis Minorids (DLM)Nov 22-Feb 1020-Dec10:46+30.7°635