Nights of shooting stars 2025. When will the meteor shower occur?

Shooting stars, or what?

The popular term “shooting stars” can be misleadingbecause the objects visible in the night sky are not actually stars, nor are they falling in the literal sense of the word. This popular and extremely spectacular phenomenon is nothing else than meteorsi.e. the light trace left by burning w Earth’s atmosphere celestial body.

When we talk about meteor showerwe mean a special event during the year when the Earth’s atmosphere min. flies for an hour. 100 meteors from one shower. The rain described can only be observed under appropriate viewing conditions, such as:

The first records of meteor showers date back to ancient times. As early as 687 BC, Chinese chroniclers from the Zhou dynasty recorded this fascinating phenomenon, which proves that it had already aroused interest thousands of years ago.

What is the difference between a meteor and a meteorite?

A meteor is a light trail visible in the sky, resulting from the burning of a meteoroid falling into the Earth’s atmosphere. This phenomenon is the result of the reaction of gases released from the meteoroid with heated atmospheric particles.

A meteoroid is a particle of cosmic mattersmaller than an asteroid, which moves around the Sun. It can have a diameter from 0.1 mm to 10 meters. A meteorite, on the other hand, is a meteoroid that has not burned up in the atmosphere and reached the surface of the Earth.

The interesting thing is that Every day, 100 to 1,000 tons of cosmic matter pass through the Earth’s atmosphere. Although most of it burns in the atmosphere, meteoroids can pose a threat to ISS space station and satellites.

The difference between a meteor shower and a meteor shower

A meteor shower is a collection of particles of cosmic matter that, after entering the Earth’s atmosphere, form meteors. All these particles appear to come from a single point in the sky, called the radiant. Whereas a meteor shower is a more intense form of meteor showerwhen per hour you can observe min. 100 meteors.

Meteor showers are a cyclical phenomenon associated with the orbits of comets and asteroids. This allows them to be viewed at similar times over the years. Their names come from the constellations in which the radiant is located. For example Perseidyone of the most popular meteor showers, have a radiant in the constellation Perseus.

Does every meteor shower cause a meteor shower?

Not all meteor showers lead to spectacular showers. Here are some of the most famous swarms that may be the source of a meteor shower:

Quadrantids: are active at the beginning of the year, most often in the first half of January. Their radiant is located at the junction of the constellations Boötes, Hercules and Dragon. They are of medium speed (41 km/s) and their activity is violent and short-lived.

Lirydy: the peak of their activity usually falls in April. Their radiant is located in the constellation Lyra. They are fast (49 km/s) and known from the first historical records of meteor showers.

Eta Aquarids: appear from mid-April to the end of May. Their name comes from the star Eta Aquarii, which is located in the constellation Aquarius. They were created as a result of the passage of Halley’s comet. The most interesting spectacle can be observed around 2:00 in the morning. Then the meteors “shoot up”. Meteors have long trails, which make them easy to spot. They move at a speed of approximately 66 km/s.

Perseidy: they are most active at the turn of July and August. This is one of the most regular and popular showers, originating from comet 2099P/Swift-Tuttle. Its radiant runs through three constellations: Cassiopeia, Perseus and Giraffe, but the maximum activity occurs at one of the stars from the Perseus constellation. It has been observed for over 2,000 years. It is also often referred to as “the tears of St. Lawrence”.

Drakonidy: appear in the sky every year, at the beginning of October. Their name comes from the constellation of Dragon, where the radiant of this shower is located. They are remnants of the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which is why the increased activity of these meteors occurs in the years when it approaches the Sun.

Orionidy: appear between the beginning of October and the beginning of November. Their radiant is located on the border of the constellations Orion and Gemini. They are associated with Halley’s Comet. The speed of the swarm is approximately 66 km/s, it is best to observe them in the second half of the night, from 3:00 a.m. until dawn.

Leonidy: their activity peaks in November. These are the fastest meteors (72 km/s) from comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Its name comes from the double star Gamma Leonis, near which its radiant is located.

Geminidy: this is the last of this type of phenomena of the year, because geminidy are visible in December. This shower is associated with the asteroid 3200 Phaeton, they are visible on December nights, and their radiant is located in the constellation Gemini.

Meteor showers in 2025. When will there be shooting stars?

In 2025, you will be able to admire meteor showers many times. We present specific dates that will be most favorable for night observations of shooting stars.

The first meteor shower in 2025 will be the Quadrantids. Their activity will be visible from January 1 to 5. Its peak falls on January 3. Within an hour, you will be able to observe approximately 120 shooting stars in the night sky.

From April 15 to 28, 2025, you can observe the Lyrids. The maximum of their activity falls on April 22. You will be able to observe about twenty shooting stars in the sky per hour.

From April 19 to May 28, 2025, shooting stars will appear in the night sky again. These will be the Eta Aquarids. The peak of their activity falls on May 6it will then be possible to observe approximately 60 shooting stars per hour.

Shooting stars will appear twice in the summer night sky. On July 28, 2025, these will be the Delta Aquarids, the frequency of their occurrence is approximately 20 objects per hour.

The Perseids are one of the most famous meteor showers. It is active in the sky from July 17 to August 24, 2025. The peak of its activity falls on August 12can then be observed over 100 shooting stars per hour. It is best to start observations around midnight.

The next night performance will take place from October 6 to 10, 2025. Draconids will then appear in the sky. The shooting stars will reach their maximum activity on October 8. The frequency with which they will appear is extremely variable and difficult to estimate.

In November 2025, it is worth looking for the Leonids in the sky. They will be visible in the sky from November 14 to 21, 2025. They will reach their maximum activity on November 17.

The last meteor shower of 2025 will occur in December. It will be visible from December 7 to 17, a the peak of its activity will take place on December 14. The frequency of appearance of celestial bodies is comparable to the Perseid meteor shower. On December 14, you will be able to observe over 120 shooting stars per hour.

How to prepare to watch a meteor shower?

Before you start observing shooting stars, it is worth preparing properly. Please check the weather forecast to ensure favorable conditions. Heavy cloud cover or full moon can make it significantly difficult to admire the night sky.

It is good to choose a place where the sky will not be polluted by lamplight. Locations far from any towns are best for observing meteor showers. It is worth making sure your eyes get used to the dark by wearing sunglasses for several minutes before observing. This will make your eyesight more sensitive to subtle phenomena in the night sky.