2012 Meteor Shower Skywatching Calendar

Star trails and a Geminids meteor over Georgia in 1985. (Image credit: Jimmy Westlake)

A meteor showers can be a dazzling experience for amateur skywatchers and professional scientists alike and in 2012 the annual "shooting star" schedule will continue.

Listed below are the major 2012 meteor showers visible during the night where the expected Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR) of meteors will be 10 or more, or where the rate may be variable. Since more meteors are always seen after midnight, these dates are the best mornings to observe.

The first meteor shower of 2012 is the Quadrantid meteor display. [Quadrantid meteor skywatching tips]

Major Meteor Showers visible during the night where the expected Zenith Hourly Rate (ZHR) will be 10 or more, or where the rate may be variable. Since more meteors are always seen after midnight, these dates are the best mornings to observe. (Image credit: Geoff Gaherty)

This article was provided to SPACE.com by Starry Night Education, the leader in space science curriculum solutions. Follow Starry Night on Twitter @StarryNightEdu.

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Geoff Gaherty was Space.com's Night Sky columnist and in partnership with Starry Night software and a dedicated amateur astronomer who sought to share the wonders of the night sky with the world. Based in Canada, Geoff studied mathematics and physics at McGill University and earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Toronto, all while pursuing a passion for the night sky and serving as an astronomy communicator. He credited a partial solar eclipse observed in 1946 (at age 5) and his 1957 sighting of the Comet Arend-Roland as a teenager for sparking his interest in amateur astronomy. In 2008, Geoff won the Chant Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, an award given to a Canadian amateur astronomer in recognition of their lifetime achievements. Sadly, Geoff passed away July 7, 2016 due to complications from a kidney transplant, but his legacy continues at Starry Night.