What is the Meteor Shower?

La rain of stars, or meteor shower, is an astronomical phenomenon of singular beauty that, fortunately, we can enjoy a lot simply by observing the sky. But how is it formed? And, most importantly, if possible, What days can you see?

If you are interested in knowing everything about the meteor shower, do not stop reading.

What is the Meteor Shower?

In outer space there are comets, meteorites, asteroids, and various astronomical objects which, when approaching the interior of the Solar System, the wind from the king star causes the surface to activate; So, the gases and materials that compose them go out into space so that a stream or ring of particles is formed which is known as a meteor swarm. If it is a meteor, this swarm is often called a shooting star.

The light effect is produced by the ionization of the atmosphere generated by the particle. Most of the meteors that come into contact with the Earth's atmosphere are very small, like grains of sand, so when they disintegrate at about 80-100km high the effect is not very impressive; However, there are others, the fireballs, which disintegrate at a height of 13-50km, leaving an amazing flash of light.

How to identify shooting stars?

This phenomenon has three characteristics that make it unique: the radiant, the population index and the Zenital Hourly Rate or THZ.

Radiant: it is the point from which the meteors stop coming out of a shower. It is measured by the coordinates Alpha, which is the right ascension or AR, and Delta, which is the declination or Ddec.
Population index: is the brightness ratio between the members of the same meteor swarm.
Zenital Hourly Rate: is the calculated maximum number of meteors that an observer could see in case the sky was clear, the Moon was not full, and there was no light pollution.

List of meteor showers

Here is a list of all the meteor showers of the International Meteor Organization (IMO):

Rain	Period of activity	Maximum		Radiant		V_infinite	r	thz
		Date	Salt	α	δ	km / s
Quadrantids (QUA)	Jan 01-Jan 05	Jan 03	283 ° 16	230°	+ 49 °	41	2.1	120
δ-Cancridas (DCA)	Jan 01-Jan 24	Jan 17	297°	130°	+ 20 °	28	3.0	4
α-Centaurides (ACE)	Jan 28-Feb 21	February 07	319 ° 2	210°	-59 °	56	2.0	6
δ-Leonids (DLE)	Feb 15-Mar 10	February 24	336°	168°	+ 16 °	23	3.0	2
γ-Normids (GNO)	Feb 25-Mar 22	Márta 13	353°	249°	-51 °	56	2.4	8
Virginids (VIR)	Jan 25-Apr 15	(Mar 24)	(4 °)	195°	-04 °	30	3.0	5
Lyrid (LYR)	Apr 16-Apr 25	Apr 22	032 ° 32	271°	+ 34 °	49	2.1	18
π-Puppid (PPU)	Apr 15-Apr 28	Apr 24	033 ° 5	110°	-45 °	18	2.0	var
η-Aquarids (ETA)	Apr 19-May 28	May 05	045 ° 5	338°	-01 °	66	2.4	60
Sagittarids (SAG)	Apr 15-Jul 15	(May 19)	(59 °)	247°	-22 °	30	2.5	5
June Bootidas (JBO)	Jun 26-Jul 02	Meitheamh 27	095 ° 7	224°	+ 48 °	18	2.2	var
Pegasids (JPE)	Jul 07-Jul 13	July 09	107 ° 5	340°	+ 15 °	70	3.0	3
Julio Phoenícidos (PHE)	Jul 10-Jul 16	July 13	111°	032°	-48 °	47	3.0	var
Pisces Austrinids (PAU)	Jul 15-Aug 10	July 28	125°	341°	-30 °	35	3.2	5
δ-South Aquarids (SDA)	Jul 12-Aug 19	July 28	125°	339°	-16 °	41	3.2	20
α-Capricornids (CAP)	Jul 03-Aug 15	July 30	127°	307°	-10 °	23	2.5	4
ι-South Aquarids (SIA)	Jul 25-Aug 15	Aug 04	132°	334°	-15 °	34	2.9	2
δ-North Aquarids (NDA)	Jul 15-Aug 25	Aug 08	136°	335°	-05 °	42	3.4	4
Perseids (PER)	Jul 17-Aug 24	Aug 12	140°	046°	+ 58 °	59	2.6	100
κ-Cygnides (KCG)	Aug 03-Aug 25	Aug 17	145°	286°	+ 59 °	25	3.0	3
ι-North Aquarids (NIA)	Aug 11-Aug 31	Aug 19	147°	327°	-06 °	31	3.2	3
α-Aurigid (AUR)	Aug 25-Sep 08	Sep 01	158 ° 6	084°	+ 42 °	66	2.6	10
δ-Aurigid (DAU)	Sep 05-Oct 10	Sep 09	166 ° 7	060°	+ 47 °	64	2.9	5
Piscides (SPI)	Sep 01-Sep 30	Sep 19	177°	005°	-01 °	26	3.0	3
Draconids (GIA)	Oct 06-Oct 10	Deireadh Fómhair 08	195 ° 4	262°	+ 54 °	20	2.6	var
ε-Geminids (EGE)	Oct 14-Oct 27	Deireadh Fómhair 18	205°	102°	+ 27 °	70	3.0	2
Orionids (ORI)	Oct 02-Nov 07	Deireadh Fómhair 21	208°	095°	+ 16 °	66	2.5	23
South Taurids (STA)	Oct 01-Nov 25	November 05	223°	052°	+ 13 °	27	2.3	5
North Tauridas (NTA)	Oct 01-Nov 25	November 12	230°	058°	+ 22 °	29	2.3	5
Leonidas (LEO)	Nov 14-Nov 21	November 17	235 ° 27	153°	+ 22 °	71	2.5	20+
α-Monocerotides (AMO)	Nov 15-Nov 25	November 21	239 ° 32	117°	+ 01 °	65	2.4	var
χ-Orionids (XOR)	Nov 26-Dec 15	December 02	250°	082°	+ 23 °	28	3.0	3
Phoenicides Dec (PHO)	Nov 28-Dec 09	December 06	254 ° 25	018°	-53 °	18	2.8	var
Puppid / Fluffy (PUP)	Dec 01-Dec 15	(Dec 07)	(255 °)	123°	-45 °	40	2.9	10
Monocerotids (MON)	Nov 27-Dec 17	December 09	257°	100°	+ 08 °	42	3.0	3
σ-Hydrides (HYD)	Dec 03-Dec 15	December 12	260°	127°	+ 02 °	58	3.0	2
Geminids (GEM)	Dec 07-Dec 17	December 14	262 ° 2	112°	+ 33 °	35	2.6	120
Eat Berenicides (COM)	Dec 12-Jan 23	December 19	268°	175°	+ 25 °	65	3.0	5
Ursids (URS)	Dec 17-Dec 26	December 22	270 ° 7	217°	+ 76 °	33	3.0	10

Important:

Rain: indicates the name and abbreviation of the rain.
Period of activity: are the days during which it is active.
Maximum:
- Date: is the date on which a greater number of meteors can be seen.
- Sun: Solar Longitude. It is the measure of the position of the Earth on its orbit.
Radiant: are the coordinates of the position of the radiant of the rain. α is Right Ascension, δ is Declination.
v infinite: speed reached by meteors when entering the atmosphere. It is given in km / s.
r: is the population index. If r is above 3.0, it means that it is weaker than average; instead if it is 2.0 to 2.5 then it will be brighter.
thz: is the Zenital Hourly Rate. If it is high, THZE is used. If it is variable, it indicates »var».

How to see meteor showers?

Shooting stars can be seen with the naked eye, as long as the sky is clear and the Moon is not full, but unfortunately with the advancement of cities it is increasingly difficult to enjoy them to the fullest. Therefore, If you want to contemplate its beauty, you have to get away as much as possible from the urban centers.

Take the opportunity to go with your loved ones to the countryside or mountains to observe them. Surely you will have a great time 🙂.

Main meteor showers and dates they are seen

As we have seen, there are many swarms of shooting stars that can be seen throughout the year, but the best known are the following:

Quadrantids: its activity period runs from January 1 to 5, with its maximum being January 3. It is one of the most active rains of the year, with a Zenith Hourly Rate of 120 meteors / h.
Lyrid: its period of activity extends between April 16 and 25, with its maximum being 22. Its THZ is 18 meteors per hour.
Perseids: also called the Tears of San Lorenzo. Its period of activity extends from July 17 to August 24, with its maximum between 11 and 13. The Zenith Hourly Rate is 100 meteors / h.
Draconids: sometimes called Giacobinids. They are a rain whose period of activity is understood from October 6 to 10, reaching its maximum on 8. It has a variable Zenith Hourly Rate.
Orionids: they are a rain of moderate activity whose period of activity extends from October 2 to November 7, reaching a maximum on October 21. Its Zenith Hourly Rate is 23 meteors per hour.
Leonidas: they are a rain that whose period of activity extends from November 15 to 21, and reaches a maximum of activity every 33 years. Its Zenith Hourly Rate is 20 meteors / h.
Geminids: it is one of the rains with the highest activity. They have a period of activity that extends from December 7 to 17, and the day that reaches its maximum is the 13. The Zenith Hourly Rate is 120 meteors per hour.