[1] See the Almanac's Meteor Showers Guide for 2013 for the dates of all the principal meteor showers during the year—plus viewing tips.
Meteor Showers Viewing Tips
- To answer the most common question: Yes, you can see these meteor showers from ANYWHERE in the sky, provided it's clear and dark, away from all the city lights.
- Where to look? The best place to start is near the radiant or "point of origin" of the meteor shower. This is where the flight course starts from.
- On below chart, see the "date of maximum" which shows when meteor showers will be the strongest.
- Note that the "best viewing" times are usually predawn and late evening—when the Earth turns into the path of meteoroids as they enter the Earth's atmosphere.
- You don't need any special equipment. In fact, binoculars do not work for meteor showers. The naked eye is best.
- Spread a blanket on the ground and look up in the dark night sky.
For more information, click here to read our article, "What are Meteor Showers: Facts About Shooting Stars [2]."
2013 Meteor Showers Guide
Note that the meteor shower dates do not change much from year to year.
.jpg "2012 Meteor shower chart")
- "Predawn" means an hour or so before morning twilight. Best time to view most major showers.
- "Late evening" means approximately between 10 pm and midnight (or a little past).
In general, most major meteor showers are best seen after midnight; some do not even appear until after then. Usually, a better time to see them is after 2 a.m., and the best time is about an hour or so just before morning twilight. Geminids, however, can be seen starting earlier, such as around 9 or 10 pm, until morning twilight. Sometimes Draconids may be visible at nightfall through early evening.
See the monthly Sky Watch [3] for highlights of the night sky and a printable sky map!
- Meteors [5]