Meteor Activity Outlook for 13-19 September 2025

During this era, the moon reaches its final quarter part on Sunday September 14th. On that date the half-illuminated moon might be situated 90 levels west of the solar and can rise close to 22:00 native summer season (LST) on the earlier night. As the week progresses, the waning crescent moon will rise later within the morning and might be much less of a nuisance to meteor observers. The estimated whole hourly charges for night observers this weekend must be close to 4 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and three as seen from tropical southern places (25S). For morning observers, the estimated whole hourly charges must be close to 11 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45N) and eight as seen from tropical southern places (25S). The precise charges seen may even rely upon components comparable to private gentle and movement notion, native climate situations, alertness, and expertise in watching meteor exercise. Morning charges are barely decreased throughout this era as a consequence of moonlight. Note that the hourly charges listed beneath are estimates as seen from darkish sky websites away from city gentle sources. Observers viewing from city areas will see much less exercise as solely the brighter meteors might be seen from such places.

The radiant (the realm of the sky the place meteors seem to shoot from) positions and charges listed beneath are precise for Saturday night time/Sunday morning September 13/14. These positions don’t change vastly everyday so the listed positions could also be used throughout this whole interval. Most star atlases (accessible on-line and at bookstores and planetariums) will present maps with grid strains of the celestial coordinates so that you could be discover out precisely the place these positions are situated within the sky. I’ve additionally included charts of the sky that show the radiant positions for night, midnight, and morning. The heart of every chart is the sky straight overhead on the applicable hour. These charts are oriented for going through south however can be utilized for any path by rotating the charts to the specified path. A planisphere or laptop planetarium program can be helpful in displaying the sky at any time of night time on any date of the yr. Activity from every radiant is finest seen when it’s positioned highest within the sky (fruits), both due north or south alongside the meridian, relying in your latitude. Radiants that rise after midnight is not going to attain their highest level within the sky till daylight. For these radiants, it’s best to view them throughout the previous few hours earlier than daybreak. It have to be remembered that meteor exercise isn’t seen at its radiant place. Rather they shoot outwards from the radiant, so it’s best to heart your discipline of view in order that the radiant lies towards the sting and never the middle. Viewing there’ll can help you simply hint the trail of every meteor again to the radiant (if it’s a bathe member) or in one other path whether it is sporadic. Meteor exercise is just not seen from radiants which are situated far beneath the horizon. The positions beneath are listed in a west to east method so as of proper ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are situated additional west due to this fact are accessible earlier within the night time whereas these listed additional down the checklist rise later within the night time.

 

These sources of meteoric exercise are anticipated to be lively this week

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The chi Cygnids (CCY) have been found on the night time of 14/15 September 2015, when a weak outburst of meteors occurred the place none had been noticed earlier than. Since then, little exercise has been detected till August of 2020, when one other mini outburst of potential CCY exercise occurred south of the conventional radiant between the constellations of Delphinus and Aquila. Some astronomers consider this early look might herald one other return of the CCY’s from their regular radiant in southern Cygnus. Nothing uncommon occurred in September 2020, however exercise from this supply must be monitored, nonetheless. The most possible dates of this occurring can be on the nights from September 14-16. At that point the radiant must be situated close to 20:00 (300) +33, a place 2 levels south of the 4th magnitude star generally known as eta Cygni. These meteors may be seen all night time lengthy however are finest seen close to 22:00 LST when the radiant lies practically overhead as seen from the northern hemisphere. Rates are anticipated to be low however anybody seeing any of those meteors ought to report them to the International Meteor Organization on their on-line visible meteor report kind or reply to this text straight on-line.  With an entry velocity of 15 km/sec., the typical meteor from this supply can be of very gradual velocity. Unfortunately, these meteors should not properly seen from the southern hemisphere as Cygnus doesn’t rise excessive into the sky from these places.

The massive Anthelion (ANT) radiant is presently centered at 00:16 (004) +02. This place lies in western Pisces, 5 levels northeast of 1st magnitude Saturn. This radiant is finest positioned close to 02:00 LST when it lies on the meridian and within the southern sky. Rates presently must be close to 2 irrespective of your location. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the typical Anthelion meteor can be of medium-slow velocity.

The September epsilon Perseids (SPE) are lively from September 5-21, with most exercise occurring on the 9^th. The present place of the radiant lies at 03:28 (052) +40. This space of the sky lies in central Perseus, straight between beta (Algol) and epsilon Persei. To finest see these meteors, face half-way up towards the northeast over the last hour previous to daybreak. Rates presently could also be close to 1 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and fewer than 1 as seen from south of the equator. There have been outbursts from this supply prior to now, however none are predicted for this yr. With an entry velocity of 64 km/sec., the typical meteor can be of swift velocity.

Sporadic meteors are these meteors that can’t be related to any recognized meteor bathe. All meteor showers are evolving and disperse over time to the purpose the place they’re now not recognizable. Away from the peaks of the main annual showers, these sporadic meteors make up the majority of the exercise seen every night time. As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45N) one would anticipate to see throughout this era roughly 8 sporadic meteors per hour over the last hour earlier than daybreak as seen from rural observing websites. Evening charges can be close to 3 per hour. As seen from the tropical southern latitudes (25S), morning charges can be close to 6 per hour as seen from rural observing websites and a couple of per hour in the course of the night hours. Locations between these two extremes would see exercise between these listed figures. Evening charges are barely decreased as a consequence of moonlight.

The checklist beneath provides data in tabular kind. Rates and positions within the desk are precise for Saturday night time/Sunday morning.

SHOWER	DATE OF MAXIMUM ACTIVITY	CELESTIAL POSITION	ENTRY VELOCITY	CULMINATION	HOURLY RATE	CLASS
		RA (RA in Deg.) DEC	Km/Sec	Local Summer Time	North-South
chi Cygnids (CCY)	Sep 16	20:00 (300) +33	15	22:00	<1 – <1	III
Anthelion (ANT)	–	00:16 (004) +02	30	02:00	2  –  2	II
Sept. epsilon Perseids (SPE)	Sep 09	03:28 (052) +40	64	05:00	1  –  <1	II

Class Explanation: A scale to group meteor showers by their depth:

• Class I: the strongest annual showers with Zenith Hourly Rates usually ten or higher.
• Class II: dependable minor showers with ZHR’s usually two to 10.
• Class III: showers that don’t present annual exercise. These showers are hardly ever lively but have the potential to provide a serious show once in a while.
• Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR’s hardly ever exceeding two. The examine of those showers is finest left to skilled observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to find out bathe affiliation. These weak showers are additionally good targets for video and photographic work. Observers with much less expertise are urged to restrict their bathe associations to showers with a score of I to III.