As seen from the Northern Hemisphere, June is another slow month for meteor activity. There are no major showers active in June and only the Anthelion source can be counted on for continuous activity. Sporadic rates continue to remain low as seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45 N) with only half the rates that are seen from the mid-southern hemisphere. For the upper half of the Northern Hemisphere the nights are short to non-existent this time of year. As seen from the southern tropics (25 S) sporadic rates continue to be strong this month with morning hourly rates near 10.
During this period the moon will reach its last quarter phase on Monday June 8th. At that time the moon will rise near midnight and will cause interference for meteor observers the remainder of the night. One can minimize the lunar glare by facing in the opposite direction with the moon at your back. As the week progresses, the moon will become less of a program as its phase wanes, and it rises later in the morning.
This weekend evening observers can expect total hourly rates of 3 from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and near 4 from tropical southern locations (25°S). Morning observers may see rates near 5 from mid-northern latitudes and near 9 from tropical southern locations. Morning rates are reduced by interfering moonlight during this period.
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, June 6/7. 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 towards 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 23:00 Local Summer Time
Radiant Positions at 01:00 Local Summer Time
Radiant Positions at 03:00 Local Summer Time
The following sources of meteoric activity are expected to be active this week:
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The June Bootids (JBO) are active from June 11-July 2 with maximum activity occurring on June 20th. The radiant is currently located at 14:12 (213) +52. This position lies in northwestern Bootes, 1 degree southwest of the 4th magnitude star known as Asellus Primus (theta Bootis). This radiant is best placed in the evening sky just as the sky becomes dark. Observers in the Northern Hemisphere have a distinct advantage over those located south of the equator as the radiant lies much higher in the evening sky. No matter your location, little activity is expected from this source. With an entry velocity of 14 km/sec., the average June Bootid meteor would be of very slow velocity.
The center of the large Anthelion (ANT) radiant is currently located at 17:56 (269) -23. This position lies in western Sagittarius, 8 degrees east of the 3rd magnitude tar known as theta Ophiuchi. This radiant is best placed near 01:00 local standard time (LST), when it lies on the meridian is highest in the sky. Rates at this time should be less than 1 per hour as seen from the Northern Hemisphere and near 2 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 Northern June Aquilids (NZC) has been known as a weak shower for nearly 100 years. Details on these meteors are quite variable, depending on the source. It is active for at least six weeks with maximum activity occurring around the 1st of July. The current radiant is thought to be active near 19:16 (289) -11. This area of the sky is located in southern Aquila, 7 degrees southeast of the 3rd magnitude star known as lambda Aquilae. This area of the sky is best placed near 0200 LDT when it lies highest in the southern sky. Hourly rates at this time are less than 1 no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 42 km/sec., these meteors would be of medium velocity.
The June epsilon Cygnids (JEC) were discovered by Rudawska and Jenniskens who combined data from SonotaCo net and CAMS in 2014. This weak shower is only active from June 11-15 with maximum occurring on the 13th. At maximum the radiant is located at 21:01 (315) +34. This area of the sky is located in eastern Cygnus, 2 degrees east of the 2nd magnitude star known as Aljanah (epsilon Cygni Aa). The radiant is best placed for viewing during the last hour prior to dawn when it lies highest above the northern horizon in a dark sky. Expected hourly rates would be less than 1 no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 53 km/sec, these meteors would have a medium-fast velocity.
The June rho Cygnids (JRC) were also discovered by Rudawska and Jenniskens who combined data from SonotaCo net and CAMS in 2014. This weak shower is active from June 11-16 with maximum occurring on the 15th. At maximum the radiant is located at 20:40 (310) +42. This area of the sky is located in central Cygnus, 2 degrees south of the 1st magnitude star known as Deneb (alpha Cygni). The radiant is best placed for viewing during the last hour prior to dawn when it lies highest above the northern horizon in a dark sky. Under the bright conditions during this time hourly rates would be less than 1 no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 50 km/sec, these meteors would have a medium-fast velocity.
The delta Piscids (DPI) were discovered by Sirko Molau and Juergen Rendtel in 2009, using the IMO’s single station camera system. These meteors are active from June 10-27 with maximum activity occurring on the 22nd. The radiant is currently located at 00:12 (003) +03, which places it in western Pisces, 4 degrees southeast of the 4th magnitude star known as omega Piscium. The radiant is best placed for viewing during the last hour prior to dawn when it lies highest in the eastern sky prior to dawn. Hourly rates are expected to be less than 1 no matter your location. With an entry velocity of 70 km/sec, these meteors would have a swift velocity.
The Daytime Arietids (ARI) are expected to be active this week from a radiant located at 02:52 (043) +24. This position lies in eastern Aries, 3 degrees south of the 4th magnitude star known as 41 Arietis. This position is also approximately 45 degrees west of the sun; therefore these meteors are only visible just before the break of dawn. Face toward the eastern half of the sky to see these meteors shoot upward from the eastern horizon. Hourly rates at this time are expected to be less than 1. With an entry velocity of 42 km/sec., the average meteor from this source would have a medium velocity. This is the strongest daylight shower of the year and radio observers always look forward to the second week of June when it reaches maximum activity.
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.
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 June 6/7.
Those marked with an * are exact for Wednesday night/Thursday morning June 10/11.
| 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 | ||
| June Bootids (JBO)* | Jun 21 | 14:12 (213) +52 | 12 | 22:00 | <1 – <1 | III |
| Anthelion (ANT) | _ | 17:56 (269) -23 | 30 | 02:00 | 1 – 2 | II |
| Northern June Aquilids (NZC) | Jul 03 | 23:32 (353) +46 | 42 | 03:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| June epsilon Cygnids (JEC)* | Jun 13 | 20:12 (303) +32 | 53 | 04:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| June rho Cygnids (JRC)* | Jun 15 | 20:40 (310) +42 | 49 | 05:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| delta Piscids (DPI)* | Jun 22 | 00:12 (003) +03 | 70 | 08:00 | <1 – <1 | IV |
| Daytime Arietids (ARI) | Jun 10 | 02:52 (043) +24 | 41 | 11:00 | <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.
