Meteor Activity Outlook for December 27, 2025 – January 2, 2026

During this era, the moon’s part will attain its first quarter part on Saturday December twenty seventh. At that point, the half-illuminated moon will set simply previous to midnight (Dec. 28^th). The morning hours will likely be freed from moonlight early on this interval however because the week progresses the waxing gibbous moon will severely hamper meteor observations all night time lengthy by the top of the week.

The estimated complete hourly charges for night observers this weekend ought to be close to 3 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and three as seen from tropical southern areas (25°S). For morning observers, the estimated complete hourly charges ought to be close to 13 as seen from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and 11 as seen from tropical southern areas (25°S). Evening charges are lowered by moonlight.

The precise charges noticed may even rely upon components similar to private mild and movement notion, native climate situations, alertness, and expertise in watching meteor exercise. Note that the hourly charges listed under are estimates primarily based 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 likely be seen from such areas.

The radiant (the realm of the sky from which meteors seem to originate) positions and charges listed under are precise for Saturday night time/Sunday morning, December 27/28. These positions don’t change vastly from day after day, so the listed coordinates could also be used all through this complete interval. Most star atlases (accessible on-line, in bookstores, and at planetariums) embody maps with celestial coordinate grids that may allow you to 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 middle of every chart represents the sky immediately overhead on the corresponding hour. These charts are oriented for dealing with south however can be utilized for any path by rotating them accordingly. A planisphere or planetarium app can be helpful for exhibiting the sky at any time of night time on any date of the 12 months.

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; due to this fact, it’s best to view them throughout the previous few hours of the night time.

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 middle your area of view in order that the radiant lies close to the sting relatively than the middle. Viewing on this method lets you hint the trail of every meteor again to the radiant (if it belongs to a bathe) or in one other path whether it is sporadic. Meteor exercise is just not seen from radiants situated far under the horizon.

The positions under are listed in west-to-east order by proper ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are situated farther west and are due to this fact accessible earlier within the night time, whereas these listed farther down the checklist rise later.

 

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

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Now that the exercise from particles produced by comet 2P/Encke have ceased encountering the Earth, the Taurid showers for 2025 are over and we resume reporting exercise from the Anthelion (ANT) radiant. This is just not a real radiant, however relatively exercise attributable to the Earth’s movement via house. As the Earth revolves across the solar it encounters particles orbiting in a pro-grade movement which are approaching their perihelion level. They all seem like radiating from an space close to the opposition level of the solar, therefore the title Anthelion. These had been as soon as recorded as separate showers all year long, however it’s now urged to bin them right into a class separate from true showers and sporadics. This radiant is a really massive oval some thirty levels broad by fifteen levels excessive. Activity from this radiant can seem from multiple constellation. The place listed right here is for the middle of the radiant which is presently situated at 07:16 (109) +22. This place lies in central Gemini, 1 diploma northwest of the 4th magnitude star often known as Wasat (delta Geminorum). This radiant is finest positioned close to 01:00 native commonplace time (LST) when it lies on the meridian and is highest within the southern sky. Rates at the moment ought to be close to 2 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and 1 per hour as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec., the typical Anthelion meteor can be of medium-slow velocity.

The alpha Hydrids (AHY) had been found by Dr. Peter Brown and are talked about in his article “A meteoroid stream survey using the Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar”. This bathe is energetic from December 15 via January 22 with most exercise occurring on January 4th. The radiant is presently situated at 08:12 (123) -07. This place lies on the Monoceros/Hydra border, 3 levels southeast of the 4^th magnitude star often known as zeta Monocerotis. These meteors are finest seen close to 0200 LST when the radiant lies highest above the southern horizon. At 45 km/sec. the alpha Hydrids produce meteors of medium velocity. Expected charges this week are lower than 1 per hour regardless of your location.

The final of the sigma Hydrids (HYD) will likely be seen this week. The radiant is presently situated at 09:28 (142) -03. This space of the sky lies in western Hydra, 6 levels north of the 2nd magnitude star often known as Alphard (alpha Hydrae). This radiant is finest positioned close to 0300 LST, when it lies highest above the southern horizon. Rates ought to be lower than 1 regardless of your location. With an entry velocity of 57 km/sec., most exercise from this radiant can be swift.

The January Leonids (JLE) had been found by Dr. Peter Brown and are talked about in the identical publication because the Alpha Hydrids. This bathe is energetic from December 28 via January 07 with most exercise occurring on January 2nd. The radiant is presently situated at 09:36 (144) +25. This place lies in northwestern Leo, 2 levels northwest of the third magnitude star often known as Algenubi (epsilon Leonis). These meteors are finest seen close to 0300 LST when the radiant lies highest above the southern horizon. At 52 km/sec. January Leonids produce meteors of medium-swift velocity. Expected charges this week lower than 1 regardless of your location.

The final of the kappa Velids (KVE) ought to be seen this week. The radiant is presently situated at 09:36 (144) -51, which locations it in central Vela, 2 levels southwest of the 4th magnitude star often known as M Velorum. These meteors are finest seen close to 0300 LST when the radiant lies highest above the southern horizon. Current charges ought to be lower than 1 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and close to 1 per hour as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 43 km/sec., most exercise from this radiant can be of medium velocity.

The final of the eta Hydrids (EHY) might seem this week. The radiant is presently situated at 09:56 (149) -02. This space of the sky lies in western Sextans, 3 levels southwest of the 4^th magnitude star often known as Ukdah (alpha Sextantis). This radiant is finest positioned close to 0400 LST, when it lies highest above the southern horizon. Rates ought to be lower than 1 regardless of your location. With an entry velocity of 61 km/sec., most exercise from this radiant can be of seem medium-fast.

The Comae Berenicids (COM) are a protracted period bathe energetic from December fifth via February 4th. Maximum exercise occurred on December nineteenth. The radiant is presently situated at 11:16 (169) +27, which locations it in northeastern Leo, 4 levels south of the 4^th magnitude star often known as Alula Australis (xi Ursae Majoris). These meteors can be finest seen close to 05:00 LST, when the radiant lies highest within the southern sky. Current charges ought to be close to 2 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and 1 as seen south of the equator. At 63km/sec., these meteors would produce largely swift meteors.

The final of the December chi Virginids (XVI) could also be seen from a radiant situated at 13:24 (201) -15. This place lies in southern Virgo, 3 levels south of the 1^st magnitude star often known as Spica (alpha Virginis). The radiant is finest positioned within the japanese sky over the last hour earlier than morning twilight when the radiant lies highest in a darkish sky. Current charges are anticipated to be lower than 1 per hour regardless of your location. With an entry velocity of 69 km/sec., most exercise from this radiant would possess a swift velocity.

The December sigma Virginids (DSV) are energetic from November 26 to January 24 with most exercise occurring on December twenty third. The radiant is presently situated at 14:12 (213) +03. This place lies in northern Virgo, 2 levels northeast of the 4th magnitude star often known as tau Virginis. The radiant is finest positioned within the japanese sky over the last hour earlier than morning twilight when the radiant lies highest in a darkish sky. Current charges are anticipated to be lower than 1 per hour regardless of your location. With an entry velocity of 66 km/sec., most exercise from this radiant can be of swift velocity.

The Quadrantids (QUA) are energetic from December twenty sixth via January sixteenth. Maximum occurred on January 3^rd. The radiant is presently situated at 15:00 (225) +50. This place lies in a barren previous of northern Bootes, 10 levels north of the third magnitude star often known as Nekkar (beta Boötis). These meteors are finest seen over the last hour earlier than daybreak when the radiant lies highest above the northeastern horizon in a darkish sky. Hourly charges are anticipated to be lower than 1  no mater your location. At 41 km/sec. the Quadrantids produce meteors of medium velocity. These meteors are seen from the southern tropics however not seen from the deep southern hemisphere.

Near 12:46 UT* on January 1^st, particles from comet 55P/Levy produced in 1897 are predicted to come across the Earth. Rates are anticipated to be low, however observers with darkish, clear skies at the moment ought to monitor the skies for any exercise regardless of the intense moon. Eastern Asia together with China, Korea and Japan are favored areas for this doable outburst. Europe lies in daylight at the moment. These meteors could also be seen from the southern tropics, however the radiant can be very low and the probabilities of seeing any exercise from these latitudes are distant. The radiant lies at 22:00 (330) +60, which is situated in southern Cepheus, 2 levels northwest of the three^rd magnitude star often known as zeta Cephei.

*Rendtel, Juergen, 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar, Page 3

Sporadic meteors are these that can’t be related to any identified 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 night time.

As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45°N), one would anticipate to see roughly 8 sporadic meteors per hour over the last hour earlier than daybreak, from rural observing websites. Evening charges can be close to 2 per hour. From tropical southern latitudes (25°S), morning charges can be round 7 per hour and a couple of per hour throughout the night. Locations between these two extremes would expertise exercise between these figures. Evening charges are affected by moonlight.

The checklist under offers info in tabular type on the energetic showers which are inside attain of the visible observer to discern. Hourly charges are sometimes lower than one, so these sources are not often listed as visible targets in most meteor bathe catalogs. If you, like me, want to affiliate as many meteors as doable with identified sources, you’ll recognize these listings.

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

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

The desk situated on web page 22 of the IMO’s 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar is a useful device for figuring out meteors. If you report the size and period of every meteor, you should use this chart to examine the likelihood of the meteor belonging to a bathe of identified 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 is just not for starting meteor observers—it takes many hours of follow 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 night time/Sunday morning December 27/28.

SHOWER	DATE OF MAXIMUM ACTIVITY	CELESTIAL POSITION	ENTRY VELOCITY	CULMINATION	HOURLY RATE	CLASS
		RA (RA in Deg.) DEC	Km/Sec	Local Standard Time	North-South
Anthelion (ANT)	–	07:16 (109) +22	30	01:00	2  – 1	II
alpha Hydrids (AHY)	Jan 04	08:12 (123) -07	45	02:00	<1  – <1	IV
sigma Hydrids (HYD)	Dec 09	09:28 (142) -03	57	03:00	<1  – <1	II
January Leonids (JLE)	Dec 09	09:36 (144) +25	52	03:00	<1  – <1	IV
kappa Velids (KVE)	Dec 26	09:36 (144) -51	43	03:00	<1  – 1	II
eta Hydrids (EHY)	Dec 08	09:56 (149) -02	61	04:00	<1  – <1	IV
Comae Berenicids (COM)	Dec 19	11:16 (169) +27	63	05:00	2  – 1	II
December chi Virginids (XVI)	Dec 14	13:24 (201) -15	69	07:00	<1  – <1	IV
December sigma Virginids (DSV)	Dec 23	14:12 (213) +03	66	08:00	<1  – <1	IV
Quadrantids (QUA)	Jan 03	15:00 (225) +50	41	09:00	<1  – <1	I
zeta Cepheids (255P/Levy)	Jan 01	22:00 (330) +60	18	16:00	?	III

You can maintain 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 likely 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 not often energetic but have the potential to provide a significant show now and again.
• Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR’s not often 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: Alpha Hydrids Comae Berenicids December Chi Virginids December Meteor Activity December Meteor Showers December Sigma Virginids Eta Hydrids January Leonids January Meteor Activity January Meteor Showers kappa Velids Meteors Quadrantids Sigma Hydrids zeta Cepheids (255P/Levy)