These Are The Meteor Showers Not To Miss In 2025 — By An Expert
With the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower last night, shooting star season has begun. For stargazers, it's a big deal. Sure, you can see shooting stars any night of the week that comes as a surprise, but that's blind luck. To see them on purpose requires planning.
Major meteor showers tend to come on softly, build to a crescendo on one particular night, and then fade out again. However, many of the major meteor showers in 2025 will be non-events, with strong moonlight rendering all but exceptionally bright shooting stars invisible (for example, August's Perseids will be washed out by an 84%-lit moon).
Here are the five major meteor showers of 2025 to plan for — taking into account the maximum expected rates on peak night and the moon phase — the first of which is about to commence.
Peak night: Monday-Tuesday, May 4-5, 2025
Named after a star in the constellation Aquarius, from which its shooting stars appear to emanate, the Eta Aquarids are caused by Halley's Comet, peaking in the early hours of Monday, May 5. The Southern Hemisphere will have the best views, with up to 60 meteors per hour streaking across the sky, while the Northern Hemisphere will see about half as many. The event will peak at about midnight, but strong moonlight means the best window is about 3:30 a.m. through 5:00 a.m.— set your alarm!
Peak night: Tuesday-Wednesday, July 29-30, 2025
Though less famous than August's Perseids, the Southern Delta Aquariids may offer 2025's best summer meteor display, thanks to a 27%-lit waxing crescent moon that sets shortly after sunset. That leaves midnight to dawn perfectly dark for viewing its expected 15-20 meteors per hour. As a bonus, the same night sees the peak of the Alpha Capricornids, which will add another 5-10 meteors per hour, but with an important twist: they're well known for fireballs — slow, brilliant meteors that can outshine Venus.
385552 01: Halley's Comet in 1986. (Photo by Liaison)
Peak night: Wednesday-Thursday, October 22-23, 2025
The second meteor shower created by Halley's Comet, the Orionids are fast and often leave persistent glowing trails. In 2025, they peak with a waning crescent moon just 2% illuminated, rising well after dawn. This means dark skies all night long, ideal for catching up to 20 meteors per hour.
Peak night: Saturday-Sunday, November 16-17, 2025
The Leonids are famous for occasional meteor storms, though none are predicted in 2025. Still, their meteors are the fastest of any annual shower, streaking in at 160,000 mph (257,000 km/h). A waning crescent moon just 9%-lit will rise during shortly before dawn, but not interfere with the Leonids. Peak viewing will be after midnight, when observers should expect 10–20 meteors per hour — with a few spectacular fireballs possible.
Peak night: Friday-Saturday, December 12-13, 2025
If you only watch one meteor shower in 2025, make it the Geminids. With up to 150 meteors per hour, they're the most prolific of the year, and their bright, slow-moving and even multi-colored meteors make them easy to see — and even photograph. In 2025, a waning crescent moon rising around 2:00 a.m. means dark skies for most of the night, particularly the prime hours between 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. Expect bold fireballs.
Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.
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