Meteors & Meteor Showers

Up to 120 shooting stars per hour could be visible during a brief peak of the Quadrantid meteor shower — the year's first meteor shower, coming to North America Jan. 3 and 4.

The annual December meteor shower, the Ursids, peaks overnight on Dec. 22, allowing skywatchers willing to brave the cold the chance to spot meteors streaking through the sky ahead of Santa Claus.

The Geminid meteor shower, one of the best of the year, put on a brilliant show Dec. 13 amid a near-moonless sky. More shooting stars are expected tonight.

The Geminid meteor shower 2023 continues overnight tonight (Dec. 14), and you can watch the action live with these free livestreams.

About half of the contiguous (48) states will have clear, starry skies — a perfect backdrop for watching this very best of the year's principal meteor displays, the Geminid Meteor Shower.

The Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak on Dec. 13 and 14. Conditions look favorable for a spectacular display this year under the dark skies of a new moon.

Debris from the near-Earth comet 46P/Wirtanen could enter our planet's atmosphere, triggering a new meteor shower on Tuesday, Dec. 12, called the Lambda-Sculptorids.

One of the most famous of the annual meteor showers will soon be reaching its maximum: The Leonids. These ultrafast meteors are due to reach their peak on Saturday morning (Nov. 18).

The Northern Taurid meteor shower peaks overnight on Nov. 11, offering the chance to see fireballs created by debris from Comet 2P/Encke burning up in Earth's atmosphere.

If skies are clear during this upcoming week, be sure to take a few moments to gaze upward. You just might be lucky and catch a glimpse of a spectacular sky sight — a Taurid meteor.