Principal nighttime meteor showers

shower average date

of maximum normal

duration

(days) visual strength

(Northern Hemisphere) entry velocity

(km/sec) associated comet

Quadrantid January 3 1 medium 41 not known

Lyrid April 22 1 irregular 48 Thatcher

Eta Aquarid May 3 5 weak 66 Halley

Southern Delta Aquarid July 29 8 medium 41 not known

Capricornid July 30 3 medium 23 not known

Perseid August 12 5 strong 59 Swift-Tuttle

Andromedid October 3 11 weak 21 Biela

Draconid October 9 1 irregular 20 Giacobini-Zinner

Orionid October 21 2 medium 66 Halley

Taurid November 8 30 weak 28 Encke

Leonid November 17 less than 1 irregular 71 Tempel-Tuttle

Geminid December 14 4 strong 34 (3200) Phaethon*

*This body was classified as an asteroid on discovery, but it is now suspected to be a burnt-out comet.

Source: Data derived primarily from A.F. Cook in NASA SP-319 (1973).