Meteor Activity Outlook for October 18-24, 2025

During this era, the Moon reaches its new section on Tuesday, October twenty first. On that date, the Moon will probably be situated close to the Sun and will probably be invisible at evening. As the week progresses, the waxing crescent Moon will enter the night sky however is not going to intervene with meteor observing.

The estimated whole hourly charges for night observers this weekend needs to be close to 4 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and three as seen from tropical southern areas (25°S). For morning observers, the estimated whole hourly charges needs to be close to 25 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and 20 as seen from tropical southern areas (25°S).

The precise charges noticed may also rely upon components reminiscent of private mild and movement notion, native climate circumstances, alertness, and expertise in watching meteor exercise. Note that the hourly charges listed beneath are estimates based mostly on observations from dark-sky websites away from city mild sources. Observers viewing from city areas will see much less exercise, as solely the brighter meteors will probably be seen from such areas.

The radiant (the world of the sky from which meteors seem to originate) positions and charges listed beneath are precise for Saturday evening/Sunday morning, October 18/19. These positions don’t change tremendously from daily, so the listed coordinates could also be used all through this whole interval. Most star atlases (out there on-line, in bookstores, and at planetariums) embrace maps with celestial coordinate grids that may assist you find these positions 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 represents the sky immediately overhead on the corresponding hour. These charts are oriented for going through south however can be utilized for any route by rotating them accordingly. A planisphere or laptop planetarium program can also be helpful for displaying the sky at any time of evening on any date of the yr.

Activity from every radiant is finest seen when it’s positioned highest within the sky (end result), 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; subsequently, it’s best to view them throughout the previous couple of hours earlier than daybreak.

It should be remembered that meteor exercise is never seen immediately on the radiant place. Rather, meteors shoot outward from the radiant, so it’s best to heart your area of view in order that the radiant lies close to the sting slightly than the middle. Viewing on this approach permits you to hint the trail of every meteor again to the radiant (if it belongs to a bathe) or in one other route whether it is sporadic. Meteor exercise just isn’t seen from radiants situated far beneath the horizon.

The positions beneath are listed in west-to-east order by proper ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are situated farther west and are subsequently accessible earlier within the evening, whereas these listed farther down the listing rise later.

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

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The Northern Taurids (NTA) needs to be lively from a large radiant situated at 02:31 (041) +18. This space of the sky lies in central Aries, about 6 levels southeast of the 2nd-magnitude star Hamal (Alpha Arietis). To finest see these meteors, observers ought to face southward close to 02:00 native summer season (LST). To differentiate between the Northern and Southern Taurids, face towards these radiants, as they lie shut collectively within the sky. Maximum exercise just isn’t anticipated till November ninth, so charges at the moment needs to be lower than 1 per hour, no matter location. With an entry velocity of 31 km/sec, the typical NTA meteor could be of medium-slow velocity.

The large radiant for the Southern Taurids (STA) is centered close to 02:56 (044) +13. This space of the sky lies in southeastern Aries, about 5 levels southwest of the 4th-magnitude star 41 Arietis. This radiant is finest positioned close to 01:00 LST, when it lies on the meridian and is highest within the southern sky. Rates at the moment needs to be close to 3 per hour, no matter location. With an entry velocity of 32 km/sec, the typical STA meteor would even be of medium-slow velocity. Many fireballs from this supply have already been reported this month, so monitoring this bathe could also be rewarding whereas the Moon just isn’t interfering. These meteors are also referred to as the October Arietids throughout October.

The Orionids (ORI) are lively from October 2 by way of November 12, with most exercise occurring on October twenty third. The radiant is presently situated at 06:16 (094) +16, which locations it in northeastern Orion, about 9 levels north of the 1st-magnitude star Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis). This space of the sky is finest positioned for observing over the past darkish hour earlier than daybreak, when it lies highest within the southern sky. Current charges are anticipated to be close to 10 per hour this weekend, no matter location. Rates are anticipated to extend to 15–20 meteors per hour by mid-week. With an entry velocity of 66 km/sec, the typical ORI meteor could be of swift velocity.

The Epsilon Geminids (EGE) are lively from October 1st by way of November 4th, with most exercise occurring on October sixteenth. The radiant is presently situated at 06:48 (102) +28, mendacity in northwestern Gemini, about 4 levels northeast of the Third-magnitude star Mebsuta (Epsilon Geminorum). To finest see these meteors, face south throughout the previous couple of darkish hours earlier than daybreak. Rates at the moment needs to be lower than 1 per hour, no matter location. With an entry velocity of 68 km/sec, the typical EGE meteor could be of swift velocity.

The Lambda Ursa Majorids (LUM) have been found by Željko Andreić and the Croatian Meteor Network staff, based mostly on SonotaCo and CMN observations (SonotaCo 2007–2011, CMN 2007–2010). These meteors are lively from October 18 by way of November 7, with most exercise on October twenty eighth. The present location of the LUM radiant lies close to 09:52 (148) +53, in southern Ursa Major, about 2 levels northeast of the Third-magnitude star Theta Ursae Majoris. This space of the sky is finest noticed over the past hour earlier than daybreak, when it lies highest above the northeastern horizon in a darkish sky. Current charges needs to be lower than 1 per hour, no matter location. Due to the excessive northern location of this radiant, these meteors are troublesome to see from the southern hemisphere. With an entry velocity of 61 km/sec, most exercise from this radiant could be of medium-fast pace.

The Leonis Minorids (LMI) are lively from October sixteenth to November sixth, with most exercise occurring on October twenty second. The radiant is presently situated at 10:28 (157) +38, which locations it in northeastern Leo Minor, about 3 levels northeast of the 4th-magnitude star Beta Leonis Minoris. These meteors are finest seen by going through east over the past couple of hours earlier than daybreak. This bathe favors observers within the northern hemisphere, the place the radiant rises larger into the northeastern sky earlier than morning twilight. Current charges needs to be close to 2 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and 1 per hour as seen from south of the equator. At 62 km/sec, the typical Leonis Minorid is medium-fast. From private expertise, this minor bathe produces a excessive proportion of vivid meteors.

Sporadic meteors are these that can not be related to any recognized meteor bathe. All meteor showers evolve and disperse over time till they’re now not recognizable. Away from the peaks of main annual showers, these sporadic meteors make up the majority of the exercise seen every evening.

As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45°N), one would count on to see roughly 10 sporadic meteors per hour over the past hour earlier than daybreak, from rural observing websites. Evening charges could be close to 3 per hour. From tropical southern latitudes (25°S), morning charges could be round 7 per hour and 2 per hour through the night. Locations between these two extremes would expertise exercise between these figures. Evening charges are diminished resulting from moonlight.

The listing beneath gives tabular data on the lively showers which might be inside attain of the visible observer to discern. Hourly charges are sometimes lower than one, so these sources are hardly ever listed as visible targets in most meteor bathe catalogs. If you, like me, want to affiliate as many meteors as potential with recognized sources, you’ll admire these listings.

Before claiming to have noticed meteors from these Class IV showers, you need to decide whether or not they really belong to them and should not probability alignments of sporadic meteors. Note parameters reminiscent of period, size, radiant distance, and elevation of every meteor to assist compute the chance of bathe affiliation.

It needs to be remembered that gradual meteors can seem in quick showers, however quick meteors can’t be produced by gradual showers. Slower showers are these with velocities lower than 35 km/sec. Slow meteors can seem from quick showers once they happen near the radiant or low within the sky.

The desk situated on web page 22 of the IMO’s 2025 Meteor Shower Calendar is a useful software for figuring out meteors. If you document the size and period of every meteor, you should use this chart to examine the chance of the meteor belonging to a bathe of recognized velocity. If the angular velocity matches the determine within the desk, your meteor in all probability belongs to that bathe.

Recognizing meteors from obscure showers just isn’t for starting meteor observers—it takes many hours of apply to develop an intuition for what you’re seeing. It is our hope that you’ll transfer past merely watching meteors as a celestial fireworks show and assist broaden our data of those heavenly guests by classifying every meteor you observe.

Rates and positions within the desk are precise for Saturday evening/Sunday morning October 18/19.

You can preserve monitor of the exercise of those meteor showers in addition to these past the bounds of visible observing by visiting the NASA Meteor Shower Portal. You can transfer the sky globe to see completely different areas of the sky. Colored dots point out bathe meteors whereas white dots point out sporadic (random) exercise. The massive orange disk signifies the place of the solar so little exercise will probably be seen in that space of the sky.

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 significant show every so often.
• Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR’s hardly ever exceeding two. The research 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 ranking of I to III.
  

Tags: Epsilon Geminids Lambda Ursae Majorids Leonis Minorids Meteors Northern Taurids October Meteor Activity October Meteor Showers Orionids Southern Taurids