During this period, the moon will reach its last quarter phase on Wednesday March 11th. At that time, the moon will lie 90 degrees west of the sun and will rise near 23:00 on the previous evening. Moonlight will continue be a nuisance for morning observers all this week. You can observe prior to moonrise, but activity is bound to be slow regardless of your location.
The estimated total hourly rates for evening observers this weekend should be less than 2 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and near 3 as seen from tropical southern locations (25°S). For morning observers, the estimated total hourly rates should be near 4 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and 9 as seen from tropical southern locations (25°S). Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight.
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 below are listed in 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 20:00 Local Standard Time
Radiant Positions at 0:00 Local Standard Time
Radiant Positions at 04:00 Local Standard Time
These sources of meteoric activity are expected to be active this week
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The beta Tucanids (BTU) produced outbursts in 2020, 2021 and 2024 on March 12th of those years. This was unexpected as activity of around one per night is more common for this display. If the outburst re-occurs again in 2026, it should occur on a 20-hour time frame centered on 06:45 Universal Time on March 13th. Early members of this shower may appear as early as 2 March, but rates would be extremely low. On the night of March 12/13, the radiant is located at 04:07 (062) -77. The current location should not be much different due to the high southern declination. This area of the sky is located in western Mensa, two degrees southeast of the 3rd magnitude star known as gamma Hydri. These meteors are best seen as soon as it becomes dark in the deep southern hemisphere where these meteors are best seen in the southern sky. They are not visible from the northern hemisphere. With an entry velocity of 31 km/sec., these meteors would be of slow velocity.
The center of the large Anthelion (ANT) radiant is currently located at 12:00 (180) +00. This position lies in western Virgo, 4 degrees west of the 4th magnitude star known as Zaniah (eta Virginis A). Due to the large size of this radiant, Anthelion activity may also appear from southeastern Leo as well as western Virgo. This radiant is best placed near 0100 local standard time (LST), when it lies on the meridian and is located highest in the southern sky. Rates at this time should be near 2 per hour no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the average Anthelion meteor would be of slow velocity.
The xi Herculids (XHE) were discovered by Sirko Molau and Javor Kac using video data from the IMO Video Network. This weak shower is active from March 6-20 with a peak on March 12. The radiant is currently located at 16:44 (251) +49, which places it in northwestern Hercules, near the position of the faint star known as 42 Herculis. These meteors are best seen during the last hour prior to dawn when it lies nearly overhead. Rates are expected to be less than 1 per hour no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 36 km/sec., these meteors would have a medium velocity.
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 4 sporadic meteors per hour during the last hour before dawn, from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be near 1 per hour. From tropical southern latitudes (25°S), morning rates would be around 7 per hour and 2 per hour during the evening. Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight.
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 March 8/9.
| SHOWER | DATE OF MAXIMUM | CELESTIAL POSITION | ENTRY VELOCITY | CULMINATION | HOURLY RATE | CLASS |
| ACTIVITY | RA (RA in Deg.) DEC | Km/Sec | Local Standard Time | North-South | ||
| Beta Tucanids (BTU) | Mar 13 | 04:07 (062) -77 | 31 | 18:00 | <1 – <1 | III |
| Anthelion (ANT) | – | 12:00 (180) +00 | 30 | 01:00 | 2 – 2 | II |
| xi Herculids (XHE) | Mar 12 | 16:44 (251) +49 | 36 | 06:00 | <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.
