American Meteor Society
Late July in 2025 will be a great time to view meteor activity as the moon will be in the evening sky and setting before the activity is strongest. One major shower and a minor one will be active at that time to entertain you. Here are some details on these showers:
The alpha Capricornids are a minor shower known for producing fireballs. These meteors are visible from July 7 though August 13 with a peak on July 30. Hourly rates at maximum are usually between 3-5. Most shower members are faint, but some can be brighter than any star in the sky. In late July these meteor radiate from the area close to the naked eye double star known as alpha Capricornii. This area of the sky rises in the east near 20:00 (8pm) local daylight time (LDT). Very little activity will be seen at this time as many meteor will be blocked by the horizon. It is better to wait until later in the night when the radiant has gained more altitude plus the moon will have set by then. The radiant lies highest in the sky between midnight and 0100 LDT. Look due south at this time for some slow meteors shooting from this area of the sky.
The best activity will be reserved for night owls who can watch during the wee hours of the morning. The Southern delta Aquariids are active from July 19 through August 13 and reach maximum activity on July 30, the same night as the alpha Capricornids. The radiant for these meteors rises near 22:00 (10pm) LDT. They are best place highest in the south near 3:00 LDT. These meteors shoot forth from southwestern Aquarius, just west of the star known as delta Aquarii. This area is about 40 degrees east of the alpha Capricornids. These meteors are easy to differentiate from the Caps as they are faster, usually lasting less than a second. Hourly rates near 3am on the morning of July 30 should be between 5-10. In the southern hemisphere, where the radiant lies overhead, rates can reach 10-20 per hour.
In addition to the showers mentioned above, one can expect up to 10 random meteors each hour not associated with any known shower. If you happen to notice some swift meteor coming from the northern sky, chances are these are early Perseids. The key to seeing the most activity is to be rested and comfortable. A reclining chair is best looking southward about half-way up in the sky. A pillow and blanket are advisable as one can become chilled lying motionless for a long period of time. Those viewing from rural locations will see more activity as most meteors are on the faint side. Any type of nearby light will severely hamper viewing meteor activity. If you would like to do more than jut watch the show, here are valuable links on how to contribute a valuable meteor session to the world-wide visual meteor database:
https://www.imo.net/resources/faq/
https://www.imo.net/observations/methods/visual-observation/
https://www.imo.net/members/imo_registration/login/?redirect=/members/imo_observation/add_session
I would like to thank Dr. Peter Jenniskens for making the orbit illustrations of these showers available. Each orbiting particle displayed was an actual meteor whose orbit was determined by two or more video cameras. By using your mouse and scroll wheel, you can change the view angle and zoom in and out. These and other major showers are available here.
If your sky happens to be cloudy on the night of maximum activity, don’t despair as the mornings surrounding July 30th will provide nearly as much activity as the peak night. Take advantage of these summertime showers as most major meteor showers occur during the last quarter of the year when nights can be chilly.
