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On July 30 and 31, 2022, the Delta Aquarids will be at their height! Meteor Showers in 2022 are shown in our calendar along with the optimum times to observe, the number of meteors per hour, and the origin of the shower.
Table of Contents
2022 Meteor Shower Calendar
The peak (or “maximum”) of a shower can vary by a day or two, but the dates of large meteor showers don’t shift much from year to year. Below is a table listing the optimum times to observe each meteor shower, along with the average number of meteors you may expect to see every hour under ideal conditions. Each meteor shower’s specifics can be found in the table below.
The Perseid and Geminid meteor showers, two of the most impressive in the year, are covered in this guide.
| Principal Meteor Showers | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHOWER | BEST VIEWING | POINT OF ORIGIN | DATE OF MAXIMUM* | NO. PER HOUR** | ASSOCIATED COMET |
| Quadrantid | Predawn | N | Jan. 3–4 | 25 | — |
| Lyrid | Predawn | S | Apr. 21–22 | 10 | Thatcher |
| Eta Aquarid | Predawn | SE | May 4–5 | 10 | Halley |
| Delta Aquarid | Predawn | S | July 29-31 | 10 | — |
| Perseid | Predawn | NE | Aug. 11–13 | 50 | Swift-Tuttle |
| Draconid | Late evening | NW | Oct. 8–10 | 6 | Giacobini-Zinner |
| Orionid | Predawn | S | Oct. 20–21 | 15 | Halley |
| Northern Taurid | Late evening | S | Nov. 11–12 | 3 | Encke |
| Leonid | Predawn | S | Nov. 16–18 | 10 | Tempel-Tuttle |
| Andromedid | Late evening | S | Nov. 25–27 | 5 | Biela |
| Geminid | All night | NE | Dec. 13–14 | 75 | — |
| Ursid | Predawn | N | Dec. 21–22 | 5 | Tuttle |
| *May vary by one or two days **Moonless, rural sky Bold = most prominent | |||||
- An hour or so before dawn is considered “predawn” in this context. Showers can be seen at this time of year.
- “Late evening” refers to the time between ten o’clock and one o’clock in the morning (or a little past).
Meteor Showers of 2022
Quadrantids | January 3–4, 2022
This meteor shower is one of the most spectacular of the year, with an average of 25 meteors per hour during its peak. The peak of the Quadrantids lasts only a few hours, but the sheer number of meteors makes it worthwhile.
From January 3 through January 4, the Quadrantids’ optimum viewing period coincides with the new Moon, which means that the sky will be as dark as it can be excellent for meteor spotting! This year
#Meteor season is swiftly approaching. Find out all you need to know on the best meteor showers of 2022: when to watch, where to go, and how to maximize your chance of seeing something. Visit EarthSky’s meteor guide for 2022 here: https://t.co/KOjZx4t2iD. pic.twitter.com/SL2CYsS1DW
— EarthSky (@earthskyscience) March 3, 2022
Lyrids | April 21–22, 2022
In 2022, on the night of April 21–22, the Lyrid meteor shower will be at its peak, averaging 10 meteors per hour in the clear, dark sky. Lyrid storms can emit up to 100 meteors per hour, but this only happens very rarely. Although this meteor shower may be seen from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, the Northern Hemisphere’s radiant is significantly higher in the sky, making it more active.
For this year’s peak of the Lyrids, the Moon will be waning gibbous, therefore the ideal viewing time is between the late evening hours of April 21 and the time of moonrise on April 22.
Eta Aquarids | May 4–5, 2022
The Eta Aquarids are the product of dust and debris created by Halley’s Comet as it orbits the Sun. If you live in the southern hemisphere, this meteor shower will be very stunning. Eta Aquarids can be observed closer to the horizon in the Northern Hemisphere than in the Southern Hemisphere.
There are 10–20 Eta Aquarids meteors per hour visible in the Northern Hemisphere in the early predawn hours of May 5. (and nearly double that in the Southern Hemisphere). This year, the thin waxing crescent Moon will have little effect.
Delta Aquarids | July 30–31, 2022
The constellation Aquarius, from where they appear to come, gives their name to the Delta Aquarids. In late July, the Delta Aquarids, a less potent shower, usually reaches its apex and produces 10 to 20 meteors per hour or so. To see the Delta Aquarids, which are not as dazzling as other meteor showers, you’ll need a black sky.
Due to the Moon’s new phase during optimal viewing hours, there will be no interference from it this year. On the 30th and 31st of July, keep an eye out for them between the hours of 12 am and 6 am.
Perseids | August 11–13, 2022
During their peak, the Perseids are one of the best meteor-viewing opportunities of the year due to the high MPH (Meteors Per Hour) and seasonably mild August weather. It’s a bummer that they’ll have to compete with the full Sturgeon Moon, which rises on August 11, 2022.
Because the Perseids will be obscured by the full Moon’s light on peak evenings, the best time to see them is just before dawn, when the Moon is just about to set. The Perseids will not be at their best if you wait until later in the month, around the 22nd of August, to go out and see them.
Draconids | October 8–10, 2022
A busy meteor shower season begins with the Draconids, which aren’t the year’s biggest show but do serve as a good introduction. Until late December, there is a rain shower every one to two weeks.
On October 9th, the Draconids are at their peak, so expect some of the meteors to be washed out by the Moon’s illumination. When it is dark enough to see the stars, angle yourself away from the Moon and look for these meteors as soon as it gets dark enough.
Orionids | October 20–21, 2022
In honor of Orion, one of the most well-known constellations in the night sky, the Orionids are named after these meteors. The Orionids occur in mid-October and peak in the early morning hours of October 21, often containing some of the brightest and fastest streaking stars. The thin crescent Moon will have little effect on this year’s meteor show, which will be a treat for stargazers!
Leonids | November 16–17, 2022
The Leonids are known to produce “meteor storms,” where thousands of meteors rush across the sky at once! This year, the Leonids occur at the same time as the last quarter of the Moon, making this the best time to see them.
Geminids | December 13–14, 2022
A waning gibbous Moon will compete with the Geminids when they reach their peak on December 7, which is a week before the full Moon. More on the Geminid Meteor Shower can be found by clicking the link provided below!
Meteor Showers Viewing Tips
- “Where can I see the meteor showers?” is the most often asked question. Whichever part of the sky do you want to go to? Meteors can appear anywhere during a meteor shower, not just around the radiant. Our view of a meteor shower’s radiant is that from where all of its meteors appear to emanate, from our point of view.) The Perseids and Leonids meteor showers have their radiants in the constellations Perseus and Leo, respectively.)
- Depending on how high above or below the horizon the radiant is, certain large meteor showers can be viewed from anywhere on Earth, but others may be better observed in one hemisphere or the other. Ursids, for example, only appear in the Northern Hemisphere because the radiant is too far north of the equator for excellent viewing in the Southern Hemisphere.
- During what time of year do meteor showers take place? See the “day of maximum” in the chart above for the peak of each meteor shower’s activity (when the shooting stars will be most frequent). Each shower’s date is determined by the time of year it crosses the meteoroid stream.
- What time of day will I be able to observe the meteors? Check out the graph above to see when it’s the best to watch. The radiant is at its brightest shortly before dawn in nearly all showers, but you may see most meteors head-on at any time between midnight and dawn for a more frequent display. Your location on the planet begins to revolve around the forward-facing half of Earth at around midnight (about the direction of the orbit). At the crack of dawn, the direction Earth is heading along its orbit is exactly in front of your location on the planet.
- To see the Geminid meteor shower, you’ll have to wait until after midnight, when the Geminids are at their peak.
- Where to look? Between the radiance and the zenith is the ideal starting point (straight above you in the sky). This is the location where the meteors appear to originate. See the “place of origin” in the preceding paragraph for more information.
- How to look? You don’t need any additional equipment to get started with this project. For meteor showers, binoculars don’t function very well. The best tool you have is your own two eyes!
Dark Skies, Clear Skies Needed!
- Away from the city’s bright lights, the night sky must be pitch black.
- Get as far away from bright lights as possible while choosing a viewing location. For a country drive or a camping trip, this may necessitate some preparation.
- The number of meteors you observe will be reduced by bright moonlight within a few days of a full Moon.
- Take a look at our Lunar Calendar to see when the next full moon will be.
- Clear skies are required, so please cooperate with the weather.
- Find an area where you can see the sky unhindered by tall trees or buildings.
- Go outside and rest your eyes for at least 20 minutes to get used to the darkness.
- Get down on the floor and spread out a blanket!
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