Meteor showers, Moon phases and eclipses: a year of sky events to plan for
· Avinash Kumar
Sky Map runs on iPhone. The app is available in 13 languages, including English, Japanese, German, French, Italian and Spanish.
A few times a year the sky puts on something worth staying up for. Most of them are predictable to the day.
The main meteor showers
| Shower | Peak (approx.) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | 3 to 4 January | Strong but short peak |
| Lyrids | around 22 April | Modest |
| Eta Aquariids | 5 to 6 May | Better from the Southern Hemisphere |
| Perseids | 12 to 13 August | The summer favourite |
| Orionids | around 21 October | Fast meteors |
| Leonids | around 17 November | Usually modest |
| Geminids | 13 to 14 December | Often the best of the year |
The Moon decides how good it will be
A bright Moon washes out all but the brightest meteors. Check the Moon phase before you plan a night. A shower near new Moon is worth a drive. Near full Moon, you’ll see a handful.
How to watch
Get away from lights, lie back, and look at a wide patch of sky, not at the radiant. Give it at least 30 minutes. No telescope needed.
Eclipses
A lunar eclipse is safe to watch with your eyes. A solar eclipse is not: use certified eclipse glasses (ISO 12312-2). We have a separate eclipse guide.
Don’t miss the dates
Sky Map’s astronomical calendar lists meteor showers, eclipses, equinoxes and planetary alignments, so you can plan ahead.
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Related: planets visible tonight.
Questions people ask
- What time is best for a meteor shower?
- Usually after midnight and before dawn, when your side of Earth faces into the stream of debris.
- Can I look at a solar eclipse with sunglasses?
- No. Use certified eclipse glasses that meet ISO 12312-2, or project the Sun's image. Only the brief total phase of a total eclipse is safe to look at directly.
Sky Map
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