Meteor showers 2031: 8 peak dates, 5 under dark skies
The 8 major annual showers peak between 3 January 2031 and 22 December 2031 in 2031. 5 of them fall when the moon is near new and the sky stays dark; the other 3 compete with moonlight.
When is the next meteor shower?
The next peak of 2031 is the Quadrantids on Friday, 3 January 2031, 1,563 days away. The moon will be a waxing gibbous that night, so moonlight will wash out everything but the brightest trails. The radiant sits in Bootes, and the stream comes from asteroid 2003 EH1.
Which meteor shower is best in 2031?
Two showers dominate most years: the Perseids in August and the Geminids in December. In 2031 the Perseids peak on Tuesday, 12 August 2031 with a waning crescent, and the Geminids on Sunday, 14 December 2031 with a new moon. Both fall in dark skies this year, which is the best pairing the calendar offers. 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 2031 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 2031, 5 of the 8 major peaks fall in the dark half of the cycle: Lyrids, Perseids, Orionids, Leonids, Geminids. The remaining 3 contend with moonlight: Quadrantids under a waxing gibbous, Eta Aquariids under a full moon, Ursids under a first quarter.
What are all the meteor shower dates in 2031?
| Shower | Peak date | Weekday | Radiant | Moon at peak | Sky |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | 3 January 2031 | Friday | Bootes | waxing gibbous | moonlit |
| Lyrids | 22 April 2031 | Tuesday | Lyra | new moon | dark sky |
| Eta Aquariids | 6 May 2031 | Tuesday | Aquarius | full moon | moonlit |
| Perseids | 12 August 2031 | Tuesday | Perseus | waning crescent | dark sky |
| Orionids | 21 October 2031 | Tuesday | Orion | waxing crescent | dark sky |
| Leonids | 17 November 2031 | Monday | Leo | waxing crescent | dark sky |
| Geminids | 14 December 2031 | Sunday | Gemini | new moon | dark sky |
| Ursids | 22 December 2031 | Monday | Ursa Minor | first quarter | 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 2031?
- Tuesday, 12 August 2031, with a waning crescent.
- When do the Geminids peak in 2031?
- Sunday, 14 December 2031, with a new moon.
- How many meteor showers are there in 2031?
- 8 major annual showers, of which 5 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 2031
Day of the year · Event countdowns · When is it? · Date calculator