During this period, the Moon will reach its new phase on Friday, April 17. At that time, it will lie near the Sun and will not be visible at night. This weekend, the waning crescent Moon will rise during the early morning hours and will not spoil meteor observing as long as you keep it out of your field of view.
Evening observers this weekend can expect total hourly rates of 2 from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and near 3 from tropical southern locations (25°S). Morning observers may see rates near 4 from mid-northern latitudes and near 6 from tropical southern locations. Morning rates are slightly 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, April 11/12. 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 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 22:00 Local Summer Time
Radiant Positions at 01:00 Local Summer Time
Radiant Positions at 04:00 Local Summer Time
The following sources of meteoric activity are expected to be active this week:
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The alpha Virginids (AVB) were first mentioned by R. B. Southworth and G. S. Hawkins in Smithsonian Contributions to Astrophysics (1963). These meteors are active from April 6 through May 1, with maximum occurring on April 15. The current location of this radiant is 13:12 (198) +04. This position is located in northern Virgo, 3 degrees east of the 3rd-magnitude star Minelauva (delta Virginis). This radiant is best placed near 01:00 local suumer time (LST), when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the southern sky. Rates at this time should be less than 1 per hour, regardless of location. With an entry velocity of 20 km/sec, the average meteor from this source would be of medium-slow velocity. This source is also far enough from the core of the anthelion radiant to be noticed, but care must be taken to differentiate between the two.
The center of the large Anthelion (ANT) radiant is currently located at 14:20 (215) -15. This position lies on the Libra/Virgo border, 6 degrees west of the 3rd-magnitude star Zubenelgenubi (alpha Librae). This radiant is best placed near 02:00 LST, when it lies on the meridian and is highest in the southern sky. Rates at this time should be near 2 per hour as seen from the Northern Hemisphere and 3 as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec, the average Anthelion meteor would be of slow velocity.
The zeta Cygnids (ZCY) are also part of weak activity in Cygnus during March and April. This shower is active from March 21 through May 1, with maximum activity occurring near April 6. The radiant is currently located at 20:00 (300) +40. This area lies in western Cygnus, 3 degrees west of the 2nd-magnitude star Sadr (gamma Cygni). This position is close to the radiant of the nu Cygnids, and they cannot be differentiated by visual means. The nu Cygnids are expected to be more active at this time, so meteors from this area should be attributed to them. This radiant is best placed during the last hour prior to dawn when it lies highest above the eastern horizon. With an entry velocity of 44 km/sec, these meteors are of medium velocity. Expected rates are less than 1 per hour. Due to the far northern location, these meteors are poorly seen from the Southern Hemisphere.
The nu Cygnids (NCY) are part of weak activity in Cygnus during March and April. This shower was discovered by Jürgen Rendtel and Sirko Molau of the International Meteor Organization. It is active from March 22 through April 23, with maximum activity occurring near April 21. The radiant is currently located at 20:04 (301) +38. This area lies in western Cygnus, 3 degrees southwest of the 3rd-magnitude star Sadr (gamma Cygni). This radiant is best placed during the last hour prior to dawn when it lies highest above the eastern horizon. With an entry velocity of 44 km/sec, these meteors are of medium velocity. Expected rates are less than 1 per hour.
The April epsilon Delphinids (AED) were discovered by P. Jenniskens and R. Rudawska from CAMS and SonotaCo meteoroid orbit surveys published in 2014. This weak source is active from March 31 through April 19, with maximum activity occurring on April 10. The radiant currently lies at 20:40 (310) +13. This position lies in central Delphinus, 1 degree south of the 4th-magnitude star Rotanev (beta Delphini). These meteors are best seen during the last dark hour prior to morning twilight when the radiant lies highest in the eastern sky. With an entry velocity of 61 km/sec, these meteors are fast. Current rates are expected to be less than 1 per hour.
The eta Aquariids (ETA) are active from April 15 through May 27, with maximum activity expected on May 5. The radiant is currently located at 21:04 (316) -10 in western Aquarius, 3 degrees east of the 4th-magnitude star epsilon Aquarii. These meteors are not visible prior to 02:00 LST and are best seen just before the start of dawn when the radiant lies highest in the eastern sky. Hourly rates are expected to be low (<1) this week, as maximum activity is still three weeks away. With an entry velocity of 64 km/sec, these meteors are swift.
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, sporadic meteors make up the bulk of the activity seen each night.
As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45°N), one can expect to see approximately 4 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 be around 7 per hour and evening rates near 3 per hour. Morning rates are slightly reduced due to moonlight.
The list below provides information in tabular form on active showers within reach of the visual observer. Hourly rates are often less than one, so these sources are rarely listed as visual targets in most meteor shower catalogs. If you 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, 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 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 have velocities less than 35 km/sec. Slow meteors from fast showers usually occur close to the radiant or low in the sky.
The table 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 estimate the probability of shower association. If the angular velocity matches the table values, your meteor likely belongs to that shower.
Recognizing meteors from obscure showers is not for beginning observers—it takes many hours of practice to develop an instinct for what you are seeing. It is our hope that you will move beyond simply watching meteors as a celestial fireworks display and help expand our knowledge by classifying each meteor you observe.
Rates and positions in the table are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning April 11/12.
| SHOWER | DATE OF MAXIMUM | CELESTIAL POSITION | ENTRY VELOCITY | CULMINATION | HOURLY RATE | CLASS |
| ACTIVITY | RA (RA in Deg.) DEC | Km/Sec | Local Summer Time | North-South | ||
| alpha Virginids (AVB) | Apr 15 | 13:12 (198) +04 | 20 | 01:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| Anthelion (ANT) | – | 14:20 (215) -15 | 30 | 02:00 | 2 – 3 | II |
| zeta Cygnids (ZCY) | Apr 06 | 20:00 (300) +40 | 44 | 08:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| nu Cygnids (NCY) | Apr 21 | 20:04 (301) +38 | 44 | 08:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| April epsilon Delphinids (AED) | Apr 10 | 20:40 (310) +13 | 60 | 09:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| eta Aquariids (ETA) | May 05 | 21:04 (316) -10 | 64 | 10:00 | <1 – <1 | I |
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.
