Meteor showers 2021: 8 peak dates, 2 under dark skies
The 8 major annual showers peak between 3 January 2021 and 22 December 2021 in 2021. 2 of them fall when the moon is near new and the sky stays dark; the other 6 compete with moonlight.
When is the next meteor shower?
Every 2021 peak has passed. The last was the Ursids on Wednesday, 22 December 2021. The cycle restarts with the Quadrantids in the first days of January.
Which meteor shower is best in 2021?
Two showers dominate most years: the Perseids in August and the Geminids in December. In 2021 the Perseids peak on Thursday, 12 August 2021 with a waxing crescent, and the Geminids on Tuesday, 14 December 2021 with a waxing gibbous. The Perseids get the dark sky this year and the Geminids do not, so August is the better bet. The Geminids peak 8 days before the December solstice, which puts them in the longest nights of the northern year.
Will the moon spoil the 2021 showers?
Moonlight is the single biggest thing an observer cannot control, and it is entirely predictable. A shower peaking within about a week of new moon gets a dark sky; one peaking near full moon loses most of its fainter meteors to the glare. In 2021, 2 of the 8 major peaks fall in the dark half of the cycle: Eta Aquariids, Perseids. The remaining 6 contend with moonlight: Quadrantids under a waning gibbous, Lyrids under a waxing gibbous, Orionids under a full moon, Leonids under a waxing gibbous, Geminids under a waxing gibbous, Ursids under a waning gibbous.
What are all the meteor shower dates in 2021?
| Shower | Peak date | Weekday | Radiant | Moon at peak | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | 3 January 2021 | Sunday | Bootes | waning gibbous | moonlit |
| Lyrids | 22 April 2021 | Thursday | Lyra | waxing gibbous | moonlit |
| Eta Aquariids | 6 May 2021 | Thursday | Aquarius | waning crescent | dark sky |
| Perseids | 12 August 2021 | Thursday | Perseus | waxing crescent | dark sky |
| Orionids | 21 October 2021 | Thursday | Orion | full moon | moonlit |
| Leonids | 17 November 2021 | Wednesday | Leo | waxing gibbous | moonlit |
| Geminids | 14 December 2021 | Tuesday | Gemini | waxing gibbous | moonlit |
| Ursids | 22 December 2021 | Wednesday | Ursa Minor | waning gibbous | moonlit |
How do meteor shower peak dates work?
A meteor shower is the Earth ploughing through a trail of dust left by a comet or, in the case of the Geminids, an asteroid. Because the Earth returns to the same stretch of its orbit at the same time each year, the peak recurs on roughly the same calendar date. Roughly, not exactly: the orbit is not a whole number of days long, leap years nudge the calendar back into line, and the debris itself drifts. That is why published peaks move by about a day between sources and between years, and why observers are given a window rather than a moment.
The radiant is the point the meteors appear to stream from, an effect of perspective rather than a real location in space. Showers are named for the constellation holding that point, which is why the Perseids radiate from Perseus and the Geminids from Gemini. You do not need to look at the radiant to see them; meteors appear all over the sky and are often longer further from it.
Questions
- When do the Perseids peak in 2021?
- Thursday, 12 August 2021, with a waxing crescent.
- When do the Geminids peak in 2021?
- Tuesday, 14 December 2021, with a waxing gibbous.
- How many meteor showers are there in 2021?
- 8 major annual showers, of which 2 peak under a dark moon.
- Do I need a telescope?
- No. Meteors cross too much sky too quickly for one. Dark adapted eyes and an open view work better.
Meteor showers in other years
More for 2021
Day of the year · Event countdowns · When is it? · Date calculator