When is the next meteor shower?


The next meteor shower is more like a “meteor season.” In late July and August, two showers converge to produce many meteors for many nights.


Two meteor showers converge every year in late July and August. The Delta Aquarid shower rambles along steadily with a nominal peak in late July, but this shower is still going strong when the Perseids peak around the mornings of August 11, 12 and 13. An hour or two before dawn usually presents the most favorable view of the Delta Aquarids and the Perseids, assuming the moon is out of the way. In late July 2013, the rather faint Delta Aquarid meteors will be at least partially drowned in the light of a bright last quarter moon on July 29. Try watching in early August, when the Perseid meteor shower is building to its peak and the light of the waning crescent moon is less obtrusive. Thanks to that waning moon in late July and early August, we’ll have moon-free skies for this year’s Perseid meteor shower. Follow the links below to learn more.


Radiant point for Delta Aquarid shower is near star Skat, or Delta Aquarii. This star is near in the sky to a much brighter star, Fomalhaut, which can be found roughly on a line drawn southward through the stars on the west side of the Great Square of Pegasus.




Radiant point for the Perseid meteor shower is in the constellation Perseus, near the W-shaped constellation Cassiopeia. Remember … you never need to find a shower’s radiant point to see meteors. Instead, although they radiate from a single point in the sky, meteors in annual showers are seen flying in all parts of the sky.

source and credit earthsky

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