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
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Lyrids

  • Peak: April 22
  • Rate: 18
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eta Aquarids

  • Peak: May 5
  • Rate: 60
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Southern delta Aquarids

  • Peak: July 30
  • Rate: 20
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Perseids

  • Peak: August 12
  • Rate: 100
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meteor showers

A Geminid meteor shoots between the Big Dipper and Arcturus.

Orionids

  • Peak: October 21
  • Rate: 23
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Southern Taurids

  • Peak: Nov. 5
  • Rate: 5
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Leonids

  • Peak: Nov. 18
  • Rate: 15
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Geminids

  • Peak: Dec. 14
  • Rate: 120
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Ursids

  • Peak: Dec. 22
  • Rate: 10
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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

Shower Activity Period Maximum Radiant Velocity Max.
Date R.A. Dec. km/s ZHR
Anthelion Source (ANT) Dec 22-Sep 27 – – – 30 3
eta Lyrids (ELY) Apr 30-May 21 10-May 19:22 +43.5° 44 3
alpha Capricornids (CAP) Jul 12-Aug 12 30-Jul 20:24 -09.3° 22.2 4
kappa Cygnids (KCG) Jul 28-Sep 02 18-Aug 19:13 +53.4° 22.9 3
Aurigids (AUR) Aug 26-Sep 04 1-Sep 6:04 +39.2° 65.4 6
September epsilon Perseids (SPE) Sep 02-Sep 23 9-Sep 3:10 +39.5° 64.2 5
epsilon Geminids (EGE) Sep 27-Nov 08 18-Oct 6:45 +28.2° 68.5 2
Leonis Minorids (LMI) Oct 13-Nov 03 21-Oct 10:35 +37.2° 61.4 2
Southern Taurids (STA) Sep 22-Dec 02 5-Nov 3:35 +14.4° 27.7 5
Northern Taurids (NTA) Oct 13-Dec 02 12-Nov 3:55 +22.8° 27.6 5
November Orionids (NOO) Nov 13-Dec 12 30-Nov 6:06 +15.4° 42.3 3
sigma Hydrids (HYD) Nov 22-Dec 26 7-Dec 8:17 +02.9° 58.8 3
Monocerotids (MON) Nov 17-Dec 26 11-Dec 6:44 +08.2° 41 2
Coma Berenicids (COM) Dec 12-Dec 23 15-Dec 11:40 +18.0° 65 5
December Leonis Minorids (DLM) Nov 22-Feb 10 20-Dec 10:46 +30.7° 63 5