During this period, the moon’s phase will reach its new phase on Sunday January 18th. At that time, the moon will lie near the sun and is not seen at night. As the week progresses the waxing crescent moon will enter the evening sky but will set long before the more active morning hours arrive.
The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this weekend should be near 3 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and 3 as seen from tropical southern locations (25°S). For morning observers, the estimated total hourly rates should be near 12 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and 10 as seen from tropical southern locations (25°S).
The actual rates observed will also depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness, and experience in watching meteor activity. Note that the hourly rates listed below are estimates based on observations from dark-sky sites away from urban light sources. Observers viewing from urban areas will see less activity, as only the brighter meteors will be visible from such locations.
The radiant (the area of the sky from which meteors appear to originate) positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning, January 3/4. These positions do not change greatly from day to day, so the listed coordinates may be used throughout this entire period. Most star atlases (available online, in bookstores, and at planetariums) include maps with celestial coordinate grids that can help you locate these positions in the sky.
I have also included charts of the sky that display the radiant positions for evening, midnight, and morning. The center of each chart represents the sky directly overhead at the corresponding hour. These charts are oriented for facing south but can be used for any direction by rotating them accordingly. A planisphere or planetarium app is also useful for showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year.
Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky (culmination), either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. Radiants that rise after midnight will not reach their highest point in the sky until daylight; therefore, it is best to view them during the last few hours of the night.
It must be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen directly at the radiant position. Rather, meteors shoot outward from the radiant, so it is best to center your field of view so that the radiant lies near the edge rather than the center. Viewing in this way allows you to trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it belongs to a shower) or in another direction if it is sporadic. Meteor activity is not visible from radiants located far below the horizon.
The positions listed below are in a west-to-east order by right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are located farther west and are therefore accessible earlier in the night, while those listed farther down the list rise later.
Radiant Positions at 19:00 Local Standard Time
Radiant Positions at Midnight Local Standard Time
Radiant Positions at 06:00 Local Standard Time
These sources of meteoric activity are expected to be active this week
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The large Anthelion (ANT) radiant is currently centered at 08:40 (130) +18. This position lies in central Cancer 1 degree west of the 4th magnitude star known as Asellus Australis (delta Cancri). This radiant is best placed near 01:00 local standard time (LST) when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the southern sky. Rates at this time should be near 3 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and 2 per hour as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the average Anthelion meteor would be of medium-slow velocity.
The last of the alpha Hydrids (AHY) are expected this week from a radiant located at 09:04 (136) -11. This position lies in western Hydra, 4 degrees southwest of the 2nd magnitude star known as Alphard (alpha Hydrae). These meteors are best seen near 0200 LST when the radiant lies highest above the southern horizon. At 42 km/sec. the alpha Hydrids produce meteors of medium velocity. Expected rates this week are less than 1 per hour no matter your location.
The January xi Ursae Majorids (XUM) were discovered by Japanese observers of SonotoCo based on video observations in 2007-2008. This shower is active from January 10-25, with maximum activity occurring on the 19th. The radiant is currently located at 11:16 (169) +33, which lies in southern Ursa Major, 1 degree west of the 3rd magnitude star known as Alula Borealis (nu Ursae Majoris). These meteors are best seen near 03:00 LST when the radiant lies highest in the northern sky. Hourly rates are expected to be near one per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and less than 1 as seen from south of the equator. These meteors encounter the atmosphere at 41 km/sec., which would produce meteors of medium velocity.
The Comae Berenicids (COM) are a long duration shower active from December 5th through February 4th. Maximum activity occurred on December 19th. The radiant is currently located at 12:28 (187) +18, which places it in southern Coma Berenices, 1 degree northwest of the star known as 24 Comae Berenices. These meteors would be best seen near 05:00 LST, when the radiant lies highest in the southern sky. Current rates should less than 1 no matter your location. At 63km/sec., these meteors would produce mostly swift meteors.
The gamma Ursae Minorids (GUM) were discovered by Dr. Peter Brown and associates. These meteors are active from January 15-25, with maximum activity occurring near January 20. The radiant is currently located at 15:16 (229) +68, which places it southern Ursa Minor, 4 degrees south of the 3rd magnitude star known as Pherkad (gamma Ursae Minoris). These meteors are best seen during the last few hours before dawn, when the radiant lies highest in a dark sky above the northern horizon. Current hourly rates should be near 1 as seen from the northern hemisphere. These meteors are not visible from the southern hemisphere. These meteors encounter the atmosphere at 30 km/sec., which would produce meteors of medium-slow velocity.
The last December sigma Virginids (DSV) may be seen from a radiant located at 15:20 (230) +00. This position lies in southwestern Serpens Caput near the faint star known as 5 Serpentis. The radiant is best placed in the southern sky during the last hour before morning twilight when the radiant lies highest in a dark sky. Current rates are expected to be less than 1 per hour no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 66 km/sec., most activity from this radiant would be of swift speed.
The xi Coronae Borealids (XCB) are another radiant discovered by Dr. Peter Brown and associates. These meteors are active from January 9-20 with maximum occurring near January 15. The radiant is currently located near 16:48 (252) +30, which actually places it in western Hercules, 2 degrees southeast of the 3rd magnitude star known as zeta Herculis. Hourly rates would be less than 1 per hour no matter your location. These meteors are best seen during the last hour before dawn, when the radiant lies highest above the eastern horizon in a dark sky. At 46 km/sec. this source would produce meteors of medium velocity. These meteors are not well seen from the southern hemisphere as the radiant lies low in the northeastern sky at dawn.
Sporadic meteors are those that cannot be associated with any known meteor shower. All meteor showers evolve and disperse over time until they are no longer recognizable. Away from the peaks of major annual showers, these sporadic meteors make up the bulk of the activity seen each night.
As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45°N), one would expect to see approximately 8 sporadic meteors per hour during the last hour before dawn, from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be near 2 per hour. From tropical southern latitudes (25°S), morning rates would also be around 8 per hour and 2 per hour during the evening.
The list below provides information in tabular form on the active showers that are within reach of the visual observer to discern. Hourly rates are often less than one, so these sources are rarely listed as visual targets in most meteor shower catalogs. If you, like me, wish to associate as many meteors as possible with known sources, you will appreciate these listings.
Before claiming to have observed meteors from these Class IV showers, you should determine whether they truly belong to them and are not chance alignments of sporadic meteors. Note parameters such as duration, length, radiant distance, and elevation of each meteor to help compute the probability of shower association.
It should be remembered that slow meteors can appear in fast showers, but fast meteors cannot be produced by slow showers. Slower showers are those with velocities less than 35 km/sec. Slow meteors can appear from fast showers when they occur close to the radiant or low in the sky.
The table located on page 23 of the IMO’s 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar is a helpful tool for identifying meteors. If you record the length and duration of each meteor, you can use this chart to check the probability of the meteor belonging to a shower of known velocity. If the angular velocity matches the figure in the table, your meteor probably belongs to that shower.
Recognizing meteors from obscure showers is not for beginning meteor observers—it takes many hours of practice to develop an instinct for what you’re seeing. It is our hope that you will move beyond simply watching meteors as a celestial fireworks display and help expand our knowledge of these heavenly visitors by classifying each meteor you observe.
Rates and positions in the table are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning January 17/18.
| SHOWER | DATE OF MAXIMUM ACTIVITY | CELESTIAL POSITION | ENTRY VELOCITY | CULMINATION | HOURLY RATE | CLASS |
| RA (RA in Deg.) DEC | Km/Sec | Local Standard Time | North-South | |||
| Anthelion (ANT) | – | 08:40 (130) +18 | 30 | 01:00 | 3 – 2 | II |
| alpha Hydrids (AHY) | Jan 04 | 09:04 (136) -11 | 42 | 02:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| January xi Ursae Majorids (XUM) | Jan 19 | 11:16 (169) +33 | 41 | 04:00 | 1 – <1 | IV |
| Comae Berenicids (COM) | Dec 19 | 12:28 (187) +18 | 63 | 05:00 | <1 – <1 | II |
| gamma Ursid Minorids (GUM) | Jan 20 | 15:16 (229) +68 | 30 | 08:00 | 1 – <1 | IV |
| December sigma Virginids (DSV) | Dec 23 | 15:20 (230) +00 | 66 | 08:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| xi Coronae Borealids (XCB) | Jan 15 | 16:48 (252) +30 | 46 | 10:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
You can keep track of the activity of these meteor showers as well as those beyond the limits of visual observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal. You can move the sky globe to see different areas of the sky. Colored dots indicate shower meteors while white dots indicate sporadic (random) activity. The large orange disk indicates the position of the sun so little activity will be seen in that area of the sky.
Class Explanation: A scale to group meteor showers by their intensity:
- Class I: the strongest annual showers with Zenith Hourly Rates normally ten or better.
- Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR’s normally two to ten.
- Class III: showers that do not provide annual activity. These showers are rarely active yet have the potential to produce a major display on occasion.
- Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR’s rarely exceeding two. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. These weak showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III.
