View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Alexander Krivenyshev captured mammatus clouds during a storm over New York on August 4, 2024. Mammatus clouds form when there’s hail, heavy rain and lightning in the vicinity. Thank you, Alexander.
Climate change is outpacing our understanding of extreme weather, making it harder to predict future conditions accurately.
Climate statistics are outdated as global temperatures rise, leading to unpredicted severe weather events.
Accuracy of models used to anticipate weather extremes is uncertain in today’s rapidly shifting climate.
Extreme weather is, by definition, rare on planet Earth. Ferocious storms, searing heatwaves and biting cold snaps illustrate what the climate can do, at its worst. But in the 21st century, as Earth’s climate rapidly warms, the range of possible weather conditions, including extremes, is changing.
Scientists define “climate” as the distribution of possible weather events observed over a length of time, such as the range of temperatures, rainfall totals or hours of sunshine. From this they construct statistical measures, such as the average (or normal) temperature. Weather varies on several timescales – from seconds to decades – so the longer the period over which the climate is analyzed, the more accurately these analyses capture the infinite range of possible configurations of the atmosphere.
Typically, meteorologists and climate scientists use a 30-year period to represent the climate, which is updated every ten years. The most recent climate period is 1991-2020. The difference between each successive 30-year climate period serves as a very literal record of climate change.
This way of thinking about the climate falls short when the climate itself is rapidly changing. Global average temperatures have increased at around 0.2°C (0.36°F) per decade over the past 30 years, meaning that the global climate of 1991 was around 0.6°C (1.08 F) cooler than that in 2020 (when accounting for other year-to-year fluctuations), and even more so than the present day.
Check out this conversation on climate chaos with meteorologist and climatologist Daniel Swain. It was one of EarthSky’s most-viewed livestreams yet … now available as a replay.
A moving target for climate modelers
If the climate is a range of possible weather events, then this rapid change has two implications. First, it means that part of the distribution of weather events comprising a 30-year climate period occurred in a very different background global climate: for example, northerly winds in the 1990s were much colder than those in the 2020s in north-west Europe, thanks to the Arctic warming nearly four times faster than the global average. Statistics from three decades ago no longer represent what is possible in the present day.
Second, the rapidly changing climate means we have not necessarily experienced the extremes that modern-day atmospheric and oceanic warmth can produce. In a stable climate, scientists would have multiple decades for the atmosphere to get into its various configurations and drive extreme events, such as heatwaves, floods or droughts. We could then use these observations to build up an understanding of what the climate is capable of. But in our rapidly changing climate, we effectively have only a few years, not enough to experience everything the climate has to offer.
A perfect storm
Extreme weather events require what meteorologists might call a “perfect storm.” For example, extreme heat in the U.K. typically requires the northward movement of an air mass from Africa combined with clear skies, dry soils and a stable atmosphere to prevent thunderstorms forming which tend to dissipate heat.
Such “perfect” conditions are intrinsically unlikely, and many years can pass without them occurring, all while the climate continues to change in the background. Based on an understanding of observations alone, this can leave us woefully underprepared for what the climate can now do, should the right weather conditions all come together at once.
Startling recent examples include the extreme heatwave in the Pacific Northwest est of North America in 2021, in which temperatures exceeded the previous Canadian record maximum by 4.6°C (8.28 F). Another is the occurrence of 40°C (104 F) in the U.K. in summer 2022, which exceeded the previous U.K. record maximum set only three years earlier by 1.6°C (2.88 F). This is part of the reason why the true impact of a fixed amount of global warming is only evident after several decades, but of course – since the climate is changing rapidly – we cannot use this method anymore.
Playing with fire
To better understand these extremes, scientists can use ensembles: many runs of the same weather or climate model that each slightly differ to show a range of plausible outcomes. Ensembles are routinely used in weather prediction, but can also be used to assess extreme events which could happen even if they do not actually happen at the time.
When 40°C (104 F) first appeared in ensemble forecasts for the U.K. before the July 2022 heatwave, it revealed the kind of extreme weather that is possible in the current climate. Even if it had not come to fruition, its mere appearance in the models showed that the previously unthinkable was now possible. In the event, several naturally occurring atmospheric factors combined with background climate warming to generate the record-shattering heat on July 19 that year.
The highest observed temperature each year in the UK, from 1900 to 2023
Later in summer 2022, after the first occurrence of 40°C (104 F), some ensemble weather forecasts for the UK showed a situation in which 40°C (104 F) could be reached on multiple consecutive days. This would have posed an unprecedented threat to public health and infrastructure in the U.K. Unlike the previous month, this event did not come to pass, and was quickly forgotten, but it shouldn’t have been.
It is not certain whether these model simulations correctly represent the processes involved in producing extreme heat. Even so, we must heed the warning signs.
This year in the UK
Despite a record-warm planet, summer 2024 in the U.K. has been relatively cool so far. The past two years have seen global temperatures far above anything previously observed, and so potential extremes have probably shifted even further from what we have so far experienced.
Just as was the case in August 2022, we’ve got away with it for now, but we might not be so lucky next time.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Alexander Krivenyshev captured mammatus clouds during a storm over New York on August 4, 2024. Mammatus clouds form when there’s hail, heavy rain and lightning in the vicinity. Thank you, Alexander.
Climate change is outpacing our understanding of extreme weather, making it harder to predict future conditions accurately.
Climate statistics are outdated as global temperatures rise, leading to unpredicted severe weather events.
Accuracy of models used to anticipate weather extremes is uncertain in today’s rapidly shifting climate.
Extreme weather is, by definition, rare on planet Earth. Ferocious storms, searing heatwaves and biting cold snaps illustrate what the climate can do, at its worst. But in the 21st century, as Earth’s climate rapidly warms, the range of possible weather conditions, including extremes, is changing.
Scientists define “climate” as the distribution of possible weather events observed over a length of time, such as the range of temperatures, rainfall totals or hours of sunshine. From this they construct statistical measures, such as the average (or normal) temperature. Weather varies on several timescales – from seconds to decades – so the longer the period over which the climate is analyzed, the more accurately these analyses capture the infinite range of possible configurations of the atmosphere.
Typically, meteorologists and climate scientists use a 30-year period to represent the climate, which is updated every ten years. The most recent climate period is 1991-2020. The difference between each successive 30-year climate period serves as a very literal record of climate change.
This way of thinking about the climate falls short when the climate itself is rapidly changing. Global average temperatures have increased at around 0.2°C (0.36°F) per decade over the past 30 years, meaning that the global climate of 1991 was around 0.6°C (1.08 F) cooler than that in 2020 (when accounting for other year-to-year fluctuations), and even more so than the present day.
Check out this conversation on climate chaos with meteorologist and climatologist Daniel Swain. It was one of EarthSky’s most-viewed livestreams yet … now available as a replay.
A moving target for climate modelers
If the climate is a range of possible weather events, then this rapid change has two implications. First, it means that part of the distribution of weather events comprising a 30-year climate period occurred in a very different background global climate: for example, northerly winds in the 1990s were much colder than those in the 2020s in north-west Europe, thanks to the Arctic warming nearly four times faster than the global average. Statistics from three decades ago no longer represent what is possible in the present day.
Second, the rapidly changing climate means we have not necessarily experienced the extremes that modern-day atmospheric and oceanic warmth can produce. In a stable climate, scientists would have multiple decades for the atmosphere to get into its various configurations and drive extreme events, such as heatwaves, floods or droughts. We could then use these observations to build up an understanding of what the climate is capable of. But in our rapidly changing climate, we effectively have only a few years, not enough to experience everything the climate has to offer.
A perfect storm
Extreme weather events require what meteorologists might call a “perfect storm.” For example, extreme heat in the U.K. typically requires the northward movement of an air mass from Africa combined with clear skies, dry soils and a stable atmosphere to prevent thunderstorms forming which tend to dissipate heat.
Such “perfect” conditions are intrinsically unlikely, and many years can pass without them occurring, all while the climate continues to change in the background. Based on an understanding of observations alone, this can leave us woefully underprepared for what the climate can now do, should the right weather conditions all come together at once.
Startling recent examples include the extreme heatwave in the Pacific Northwest est of North America in 2021, in which temperatures exceeded the previous Canadian record maximum by 4.6°C (8.28 F). Another is the occurrence of 40°C (104 F) in the U.K. in summer 2022, which exceeded the previous U.K. record maximum set only three years earlier by 1.6°C (2.88 F). This is part of the reason why the true impact of a fixed amount of global warming is only evident after several decades, but of course – since the climate is changing rapidly – we cannot use this method anymore.
Playing with fire
To better understand these extremes, scientists can use ensembles: many runs of the same weather or climate model that each slightly differ to show a range of plausible outcomes. Ensembles are routinely used in weather prediction, but can also be used to assess extreme events which could happen even if they do not actually happen at the time.
When 40°C (104 F) first appeared in ensemble forecasts for the U.K. before the July 2022 heatwave, it revealed the kind of extreme weather that is possible in the current climate. Even if it had not come to fruition, its mere appearance in the models showed that the previously unthinkable was now possible. In the event, several naturally occurring atmospheric factors combined with background climate warming to generate the record-shattering heat on July 19 that year.
The highest observed temperature each year in the UK, from 1900 to 2023
Later in summer 2022, after the first occurrence of 40°C (104 F), some ensemble weather forecasts for the UK showed a situation in which 40°C (104 F) could be reached on multiple consecutive days. This would have posed an unprecedented threat to public health and infrastructure in the U.K. Unlike the previous month, this event did not come to pass, and was quickly forgotten, but it shouldn’t have been.
It is not certain whether these model simulations correctly represent the processes involved in producing extreme heat. Even so, we must heed the warning signs.
This year in the UK
Despite a record-warm planet, summer 2024 in the U.K. has been relatively cool so far. The past two years have seen global temperatures far above anything previously observed, and so potential extremes have probably shifted even further from what we have so far experienced.
Just as was the case in August 2022, we’ve got away with it for now, but we might not be so lucky next time.
Meet one of the cutest animals in the animal kingdom: the koala. But they’re not bears, they’re marsupials. And when it comes to sleeping, they have sloths beat. While they may be cute, they’re also tough, feeding on leaves that would kill other animals. Plus their anatomy is quite surprising. Read on to learn more about these adorable and fascinating creatures.
Koalas are not bears
Koalas may look like cute teddy bears, but they’re not bears at all, they’re marsupials, like kangaroos. Marsupials have a pouch on their bellies, where their babies stay comfy and protected. Marsupial babies are born not yet fully developed, so their growth continues in the pouch.
Koalas are gentle, calm and independent animals. But during the mating season, the dominant male mates with all available females. Likewise, he brings out his inner “bear” and fights with other males using his sharp claws to show who’s the boss of the territory.
Koalas look like cute teddy bears, but they’re not bears, they’re marsupials, like kangaroos. Image via Flickr/ Pexels.
Hi, my name is Joey
Normally, koalas give birth to only one baby per year. Gestation lasts around 35 days. A baby koala is known as a joey. When born, a koala is very small, around 0.8 inches (2 cm) long and 0.02 ounces (0.5 grams) in weight. In addition, koalas are born blind, without ears or hair. But they’re still adorable!
Shortly after birth, the baby crawls into its mother’s pouch and clings to one of the two nipples. Right after, the mother closes the sphincter of the pouch so that the baby doesn’t fall out.
After six or seven months, the young koala takes its head out of its mother’s pouch for the first time. When it gets too big for the pouch, it climbs onto its mother’s back to start eating leaves.
After a year, the koala leaves its mother and looks for its own territory. Koalas have a life expectancy of 13 to 18 years.
A baby koala is called a joey. Babies gestate in their mom’s uterus and then move to their mom’s pouch. After that, they climb onto their mom’s back. They become independent after a year. Image via Jools Magools/ Pexels.
Few people know this about koalas …
I bet you didn’t know this … Male koalas have a bifurcated penis, with two ends, and females have two ovaries, two vaginas and two differentiated uteruses. It’s typical of marsupials. What, did I win the bet? Did you know this curious fact?
Although female koalas have only one baby per litter and per year – and sometimes it takes even longer to have a baby again – the double uterus allows them to gestate a baby in one uterus while the other recovers.
There are many animal species in which the female has several babies at once. The second uterus allows females not to be at a disadvantage, so they can have a respectable number of babies even though they gestate them one at a time.
We can see a perfect example in the female kangaroo. When a kangaroo gestates an embryo in a uterus, at birth, the newborn crawls to the pouch to suckle, leaving the uterus free. However, the uterus has not yet recovered from the process, but the other uterus is there, ready to house life.
Therefore, kangaroos can have three babies in their care at the same time: one outside, one in the pouch and another one that is gestating.
Marsupials have 2 uteruses. Females gestate a baby in one uterus while the other recovers. Still, koalas only have 1 baby per year, and sometimes they need more time to have a baby. Image via Jonathan lajoie/ Pexels.
Koalas have a very peculiar anatomy
Koalas are endemic to Australia. There are three subspecies of koalas. The Queensland koala is the smallest of the three. It has shorter and more silver fur. The Victoria koala is the largest and has longer, brown fur. The New South Wales koala is medium-sized and the most recognizable of all koalas due to its gray fur.
Koalas have four legs with five toes on each. So far, everything is normal, but now comes another curious thing … The front legs have five fingers, but the first two are opposite to the rest. These two fingers are like thumbs, which are opposable. This is an adaptation to climb better, since koalas spend their lives among trees.
In the case of the hind limbs, the first toe is short and widened, and the second and third are fused. The other two fingers are ordinary. Additionally, koalas’ fingers have fingerprints, just like humans.
The front legs have 5 fingers, but the first 2 are opposite to the rest. In the case of the hind limbs, the first toe is short and widened, and the second and third are fused. Image via Anthonys Images/ Unsplash.
They feed on an element that is toxic to others
Koalas have a good sense of hearing and smell, perhaps to compensate for poor eyesight. However, given the type of life they have, sight is not as important as hearing and smell, which are highly developed.
With hearing, they interact with other members of their species, an especially important sense for reproduction. As for smell, their distinctive nose allows them to perceive and evaluate the peculiar food they consume.
Koalas are herbivorous animals that feed mainly on eucalyptus leaves. Now, these are leaves that contain compounds that are harmful to other animals. However, koalas have developed an anatomical and physiological system that allows them to feed on these leaves without any problem. There is only one small detail to take into account. And that’s the lack of energy this diet produces.
Koalas are herbivorous animals that feed mainly on eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic for many other animals. Image via Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz/ Pexels.
Koalas are lazier than sloths
These furry creatures ingest up to 35 ounces (1 kg) of leaves a day. That’s quite a lot, considering a koala can weigh between 9 and 33 pounds (4 and 15 kg) and its size varies between about 24 and 30 inches (60 and 80 cm). These animals can spend up to five hours a day eating, and although they can eat at any time of the day, they tend to do so at night.
Koalas have a long intestine called the caecum, which is 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. In this caecum, millions of bacteria break down the tough leaves, transforming them into easy-to-absorb substances. This long intestine is very necessary to properly digest the tannins and other toxic substances contained in eucalyptus leaves. Digestion can take five days!
Their diet is high in fiber but low in protein. Thus, with so few nutrients, koalas have little energy. And so they spend long hours sitting or sleeping among tree branches, trying to save the little energy they have.
Still, they are surprisingly fast when needed. Although they are not made to walk or run on the ground, they can gallop and reach up to 19 miles (30 km) per hour.
And if you thought sloths were lazy, koalas sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day. Meanwhile, sloths only sleep between 15 and 18.
Koalas can spend days digesting the hard leaves they eat. Also, they receive few nutrients, so they have little energy and spend 18 to 22 hours sleeping. Image via David Clode/ Unsplash.
Is it true koalas don’t drink water?
The name koala comes from the Australian word “gula,” which means “without water.” For some time, people thought these marsupials didn’t need water to survive. However, it’s not true. Koalas lick the smooth trunks of trees, and although they take much of the water they need from the leaves they consume, they do require liquid water, especially during heat waves.
And speaking of water, koalas are very good swimmers.
Another curious fact is they have a small brain in relation to the size of their head and body. In addition, this structure is also smoother. Scientists think if they had a larger and more complex brain, they would require more energy. But we love them anyway, don’t we?
The word “koala” comes from the Australian word “gula,” which means “without water.” Koalas receive much water from the leaves they eat, but they still need to drink liquid water. Image via Leif Bergerson/ Pexels.
Difficulties they face
Unfortunately, many koalas suffer from chlamydia. It’s a bacterial infection that can cause disease. When koalas become stressed due to changes in their habitat, their immune system becomes depressed. Then the bacterial infection can cause damage that results in blindness and infertility.
Logging, agriculture and urban development have added other dangers. Their habitat has been affected by the passage of many roads, resulting in deaths by automobiles.
Koalas only live in Australia. Although not officially classified as endangered, the koala population has declined by 90% in less than a decade.
Many koalas suffer from chlamydia. The increased stress due to changes in their habitat can lower their immune system and then the bacterial infection can cause blindness and infertility. Image via Valeriia Miller/ Pexels.
Sleeping cuties
All right, because I know how much you love seeing photos of these adorable animals doing what they do best, to sleep, here are some more images. By the way! Even if it looks like they are not comfortable, they have a curved spine and a cartilaginous pad over the end of the spine that makes it more comfortable for them to sit on branches and tree forks.
Koalas love sleeping. Image via Jack McCracken/ Unsplash.Don’t suffer for them. Even if they don’t look confortable, they have a curved spine with cartilage at the end, creating sort of a pad. Image via Gary Runn/ Unsplash.Did you fall in love with koalas? Image via Thiago Oliveira/ Pexels.
Bottom line: Koalas are furry and cuddly, but they are also quite tough! They can eat leaves that would kill other animals. And their anatomy is surprising.
Meet one of the cutest animals in the animal kingdom: the koala. But they’re not bears, they’re marsupials. And when it comes to sleeping, they have sloths beat. While they may be cute, they’re also tough, feeding on leaves that would kill other animals. Plus their anatomy is quite surprising. Read on to learn more about these adorable and fascinating creatures.
Koalas are not bears
Koalas may look like cute teddy bears, but they’re not bears at all, they’re marsupials, like kangaroos. Marsupials have a pouch on their bellies, where their babies stay comfy and protected. Marsupial babies are born not yet fully developed, so their growth continues in the pouch.
Koalas are gentle, calm and independent animals. But during the mating season, the dominant male mates with all available females. Likewise, he brings out his inner “bear” and fights with other males using his sharp claws to show who’s the boss of the territory.
Koalas look like cute teddy bears, but they’re not bears, they’re marsupials, like kangaroos. Image via Flickr/ Pexels.
Hi, my name is Joey
Normally, koalas give birth to only one baby per year. Gestation lasts around 35 days. A baby koala is known as a joey. When born, a koala is very small, around 0.8 inches (2 cm) long and 0.02 ounces (0.5 grams) in weight. In addition, koalas are born blind, without ears or hair. But they’re still adorable!
Shortly after birth, the baby crawls into its mother’s pouch and clings to one of the two nipples. Right after, the mother closes the sphincter of the pouch so that the baby doesn’t fall out.
After six or seven months, the young koala takes its head out of its mother’s pouch for the first time. When it gets too big for the pouch, it climbs onto its mother’s back to start eating leaves.
After a year, the koala leaves its mother and looks for its own territory. Koalas have a life expectancy of 13 to 18 years.
A baby koala is called a joey. Babies gestate in their mom’s uterus and then move to their mom’s pouch. After that, they climb onto their mom’s back. They become independent after a year. Image via Jools Magools/ Pexels.
Few people know this about koalas …
I bet you didn’t know this … Male koalas have a bifurcated penis, with two ends, and females have two ovaries, two vaginas and two differentiated uteruses. It’s typical of marsupials. What, did I win the bet? Did you know this curious fact?
Although female koalas have only one baby per litter and per year – and sometimes it takes even longer to have a baby again – the double uterus allows them to gestate a baby in one uterus while the other recovers.
There are many animal species in which the female has several babies at once. The second uterus allows females not to be at a disadvantage, so they can have a respectable number of babies even though they gestate them one at a time.
We can see a perfect example in the female kangaroo. When a kangaroo gestates an embryo in a uterus, at birth, the newborn crawls to the pouch to suckle, leaving the uterus free. However, the uterus has not yet recovered from the process, but the other uterus is there, ready to house life.
Therefore, kangaroos can have three babies in their care at the same time: one outside, one in the pouch and another one that is gestating.
Marsupials have 2 uteruses. Females gestate a baby in one uterus while the other recovers. Still, koalas only have 1 baby per year, and sometimes they need more time to have a baby. Image via Jonathan lajoie/ Pexels.
Koalas have a very peculiar anatomy
Koalas are endemic to Australia. There are three subspecies of koalas. The Queensland koala is the smallest of the three. It has shorter and more silver fur. The Victoria koala is the largest and has longer, brown fur. The New South Wales koala is medium-sized and the most recognizable of all koalas due to its gray fur.
Koalas have four legs with five toes on each. So far, everything is normal, but now comes another curious thing … The front legs have five fingers, but the first two are opposite to the rest. These two fingers are like thumbs, which are opposable. This is an adaptation to climb better, since koalas spend their lives among trees.
In the case of the hind limbs, the first toe is short and widened, and the second and third are fused. The other two fingers are ordinary. Additionally, koalas’ fingers have fingerprints, just like humans.
The front legs have 5 fingers, but the first 2 are opposite to the rest. In the case of the hind limbs, the first toe is short and widened, and the second and third are fused. Image via Anthonys Images/ Unsplash.
They feed on an element that is toxic to others
Koalas have a good sense of hearing and smell, perhaps to compensate for poor eyesight. However, given the type of life they have, sight is not as important as hearing and smell, which are highly developed.
With hearing, they interact with other members of their species, an especially important sense for reproduction. As for smell, their distinctive nose allows them to perceive and evaluate the peculiar food they consume.
Koalas are herbivorous animals that feed mainly on eucalyptus leaves. Now, these are leaves that contain compounds that are harmful to other animals. However, koalas have developed an anatomical and physiological system that allows them to feed on these leaves without any problem. There is only one small detail to take into account. And that’s the lack of energy this diet produces.
Koalas are herbivorous animals that feed mainly on eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic for many other animals. Image via Mehmet Turgut Kirkgoz/ Pexels.
Koalas are lazier than sloths
These furry creatures ingest up to 35 ounces (1 kg) of leaves a day. That’s quite a lot, considering a koala can weigh between 9 and 33 pounds (4 and 15 kg) and its size varies between about 24 and 30 inches (60 and 80 cm). These animals can spend up to five hours a day eating, and although they can eat at any time of the day, they tend to do so at night.
Koalas have a long intestine called the caecum, which is 6.5 feet (2 meters) long. In this caecum, millions of bacteria break down the tough leaves, transforming them into easy-to-absorb substances. This long intestine is very necessary to properly digest the tannins and other toxic substances contained in eucalyptus leaves. Digestion can take five days!
Their diet is high in fiber but low in protein. Thus, with so few nutrients, koalas have little energy. And so they spend long hours sitting or sleeping among tree branches, trying to save the little energy they have.
Still, they are surprisingly fast when needed. Although they are not made to walk or run on the ground, they can gallop and reach up to 19 miles (30 km) per hour.
And if you thought sloths were lazy, koalas sleep between 18 and 22 hours a day. Meanwhile, sloths only sleep between 15 and 18.
Koalas can spend days digesting the hard leaves they eat. Also, they receive few nutrients, so they have little energy and spend 18 to 22 hours sleeping. Image via David Clode/ Unsplash.
Is it true koalas don’t drink water?
The name koala comes from the Australian word “gula,” which means “without water.” For some time, people thought these marsupials didn’t need water to survive. However, it’s not true. Koalas lick the smooth trunks of trees, and although they take much of the water they need from the leaves they consume, they do require liquid water, especially during heat waves.
And speaking of water, koalas are very good swimmers.
Another curious fact is they have a small brain in relation to the size of their head and body. In addition, this structure is also smoother. Scientists think if they had a larger and more complex brain, they would require more energy. But we love them anyway, don’t we?
The word “koala” comes from the Australian word “gula,” which means “without water.” Koalas receive much water from the leaves they eat, but they still need to drink liquid water. Image via Leif Bergerson/ Pexels.
Difficulties they face
Unfortunately, many koalas suffer from chlamydia. It’s a bacterial infection that can cause disease. When koalas become stressed due to changes in their habitat, their immune system becomes depressed. Then the bacterial infection can cause damage that results in blindness and infertility.
Logging, agriculture and urban development have added other dangers. Their habitat has been affected by the passage of many roads, resulting in deaths by automobiles.
Koalas only live in Australia. Although not officially classified as endangered, the koala population has declined by 90% in less than a decade.
Many koalas suffer from chlamydia. The increased stress due to changes in their habitat can lower their immune system and then the bacterial infection can cause blindness and infertility. Image via Valeriia Miller/ Pexels.
Sleeping cuties
All right, because I know how much you love seeing photos of these adorable animals doing what they do best, to sleep, here are some more images. By the way! Even if it looks like they are not comfortable, they have a curved spine and a cartilaginous pad over the end of the spine that makes it more comfortable for them to sit on branches and tree forks.
Koalas love sleeping. Image via Jack McCracken/ Unsplash.Don’t suffer for them. Even if they don’t look confortable, they have a curved spine with cartilage at the end, creating sort of a pad. Image via Gary Runn/ Unsplash.Did you fall in love with koalas? Image via Thiago Oliveira/ Pexels.
Bottom line: Koalas are furry and cuddly, but they are also quite tough! They can eat leaves that would kill other animals. And their anatomy is surprising.
A team of astronomers analyzed observations that NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope took over a span of 18 years to measure the motions of stars within the Draco dwarf galaxy. They were able to build an accurate 3D map of the stars’ movements within the system. These improved measurements are helping shed light on the mysterious qualities and behavior of dark matter, the universe’s invisible “glue.” The left image is from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS). It presents a wider view of the region. The 2 right-side images are Hubble views. Image via NASA/ ESA/ STScI.
Search for dark matter from Earth to distant galaxies
It’s been a very busy dark matter hunting season so far. Already, one research team says they’ve found evidence for self-interacting dark matter in an enormous galaxy cluster. And another team says dark matter might be causing a glow on Jupiter’s dark side.
Now three more research groups say they’re extending the hunt for dark matter to new extremes. The first team is looking 250,000 light-years away at the Draco dwarf galaxy. A second team thinks we can detect dark matter just over our heads in our planet’s atmosphere. And a third says the signature of dark matter is imprinted on the Earth itself.
Results of a peer-reviewed, 18-year-long stellar survey showing dark matter density in the Draco galaxy appeared in the Astrophysics Journal in July 2024. The scheme for detecting dark matter in Earth’s ionosphere appeared as a preprint paper in Cornell University’s open-source archive – arXiv.org – in May 2024. And the paper proposing a search for dark matter signals in rocks published in July 2024 in the journal Symmetry.
What the heck is dark matter?
We know almost nothing about dark matter. We don’t know what it’s made from. Dark matter can’t be felt or heard … at least not yet. And, of course, it’s so dark we can’t see it.
But – thanks to the work of astronomers like Vera Rubin – we do know that its gravitational effect holds galaxies together. If it weren’t for dark matter, there wouldn’t be enough mass in galaxies to keep stars from flinging into space. That means whatever it is, there’s a whole lot of it. Dark matter makes up roughly 27% of the mass of everything there is.
Dark energy accounts for almost everything else. It makes up 68% or so of the cosmos. That leaves about 5% of the universe’s mass in the form of regular matter like us.
So, dark matter is a sort of cosmic glue holding things together. But we only have tantalizing clues about what it is.
Making a motion map of a pint-sized galaxy’s stars
So the only handle we have on dark matter is its pull on everything else. While the stuff doesn’t appear to interact with electromagnetic radiation – like light, gamma radiation and X-rays – it does warp the fabric of spacetime. In other words, it has gravity.
With that in mind, some very clever people designed computer simulations to show where dark matter should accumulate in galaxies. Their models said it should concentrate at the center of galaxies, in areas known as density cusps. However, some observations suggested dark matter might be evenly dispersed in a galaxy.
So researchers with NASA, ESA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) spent a decade searching through 18 years’ worth of archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope. With it, they constructed highly detailed models of stellar motions in the Draco dwarf galaxy. STScI’s Eduardo Vitral, the lead author of the study, described what the team found in a NASA press release:
Our models tend to agree more with a cusp-like structure, which aligns with cosmological models. While we cannot definitively say all galaxies contain a cusp-like dark matter distribution, it’s exciting to have such well measured data that surpasses anything we’ve had before.
Scientists are already applying the same method to the Sculptor and Ursa Minor dwarf galaxies. The insight into dark matter this method provides will become more detailed as new instruments like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope come online.
Tuning in dark matter radio signals
Meanwhile, another trio of physicists said the model they created of Earth’s ionosphere shows that dark matter can interact with plasma. And if the plasma has the right frequency – the same as the dark matter – then it produces low-frequency radio emissions.
An electrically small dipole antenna targeting the generated radio waves can be orders of magnitude more sensitive to dark photon and axion-like particle dark matter in the relevant mass range. The present study opens up a promising way of testing a hitherto unexplored parameter space which could be further improved with a dedicated instrument.
The catch is dark matter must exist as axions for this to work. These are theoretical elementary particles that scientists first proposed in the 1970s. They, too, have never been definitively detected.
Axion quark nuggets
Another paper appearing on arXiv.org in May 2024 wonders if theoretical dark matter particles are behind strange, yet-to-be-explained events on Earth. Author Ariel Zhitnitsky, a physicist at the University of British Columbia, said the enigmas could be explained by axion quark nuggets striking our planet:
It has been recently argued that there are a number of mysterious observations which are very hard to explain by conventional physics. The mysterious anomalies include (but are not limited to) such unexpected correlations as temperature variation in the stratosphere, the total electron content of the Earth’s atmosphere, the earthquake activity from one hand, and positions of the planets from another hand.
Zhitnitsky’s comment refers to work by other theorists. Unfortunately, the brief available online provides no details. However, the physicist said these and other puzzles may be explained by dark matter striking Earth:
It has been hypothesized that the corresponding mysterious correlations are a result of the ‘streaming invisible matter’ which suddenly becomes very strongly interacting material when entering the Earth’s atmosphere. We propose that some of these (and many other) mysteries might be result of rare (but energetic) events when the so-called axion quark nuggets (AQN) hit the Earth.
Evidence right under our feet?
Theoretical particles come in matched pairs of opposites. In this case, it’s the aptly named “axion antiquark nugget” (AQ¯N). If these nuggets exist, they’ll have very little mass compared to their size. That means we’d need a huge detector, something about, say, the size of Earth.
A paper published just this month (July 2024) proposes a way to look for evidence of dark matter interactions in the rocks below our feet:
This paper presents a new idea for the direct detection of the AQ¯Ns using minerals as natural rock deposits acting as paleo-detectors, where the latent signals of luminescence produced by interactions of AQ¯Ns are registered and can be identified as an increased and symmetrical deposited dose.
In other words, the light produced by AQN/AQ¯N interactions ongoing since the universe began should leave a trace on Earth’s geology. The signal should be detectable, according to the theory, in various minerals from natural deposits. Now, like dark matter, they just have to find it.
Bottom line: Recent research suggests evidence for dark matter is – or might be found – in extreme locations. Researchers are looking in distant galaxies and here on Earth.
A team of astronomers analyzed observations that NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope took over a span of 18 years to measure the motions of stars within the Draco dwarf galaxy. They were able to build an accurate 3D map of the stars’ movements within the system. These improved measurements are helping shed light on the mysterious qualities and behavior of dark matter, the universe’s invisible “glue.” The left image is from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS). It presents a wider view of the region. The 2 right-side images are Hubble views. Image via NASA/ ESA/ STScI.
Search for dark matter from Earth to distant galaxies
It’s been a very busy dark matter hunting season so far. Already, one research team says they’ve found evidence for self-interacting dark matter in an enormous galaxy cluster. And another team says dark matter might be causing a glow on Jupiter’s dark side.
Now three more research groups say they’re extending the hunt for dark matter to new extremes. The first team is looking 250,000 light-years away at the Draco dwarf galaxy. A second team thinks we can detect dark matter just over our heads in our planet’s atmosphere. And a third says the signature of dark matter is imprinted on the Earth itself.
Results of a peer-reviewed, 18-year-long stellar survey showing dark matter density in the Draco galaxy appeared in the Astrophysics Journal in July 2024. The scheme for detecting dark matter in Earth’s ionosphere appeared as a preprint paper in Cornell University’s open-source archive – arXiv.org – in May 2024. And the paper proposing a search for dark matter signals in rocks published in July 2024 in the journal Symmetry.
What the heck is dark matter?
We know almost nothing about dark matter. We don’t know what it’s made from. Dark matter can’t be felt or heard … at least not yet. And, of course, it’s so dark we can’t see it.
But – thanks to the work of astronomers like Vera Rubin – we do know that its gravitational effect holds galaxies together. If it weren’t for dark matter, there wouldn’t be enough mass in galaxies to keep stars from flinging into space. That means whatever it is, there’s a whole lot of it. Dark matter makes up roughly 27% of the mass of everything there is.
Dark energy accounts for almost everything else. It makes up 68% or so of the cosmos. That leaves about 5% of the universe’s mass in the form of regular matter like us.
So, dark matter is a sort of cosmic glue holding things together. But we only have tantalizing clues about what it is.
Making a motion map of a pint-sized galaxy’s stars
So the only handle we have on dark matter is its pull on everything else. While the stuff doesn’t appear to interact with electromagnetic radiation – like light, gamma radiation and X-rays – it does warp the fabric of spacetime. In other words, it has gravity.
With that in mind, some very clever people designed computer simulations to show where dark matter should accumulate in galaxies. Their models said it should concentrate at the center of galaxies, in areas known as density cusps. However, some observations suggested dark matter might be evenly dispersed in a galaxy.
So researchers with NASA, ESA and the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) spent a decade searching through 18 years’ worth of archival data from the Hubble Space Telescope. With it, they constructed highly detailed models of stellar motions in the Draco dwarf galaxy. STScI’s Eduardo Vitral, the lead author of the study, described what the team found in a NASA press release:
Our models tend to agree more with a cusp-like structure, which aligns with cosmological models. While we cannot definitively say all galaxies contain a cusp-like dark matter distribution, it’s exciting to have such well measured data that surpasses anything we’ve had before.
Scientists are already applying the same method to the Sculptor and Ursa Minor dwarf galaxies. The insight into dark matter this method provides will become more detailed as new instruments like the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope come online.
Tuning in dark matter radio signals
Meanwhile, another trio of physicists said the model they created of Earth’s ionosphere shows that dark matter can interact with plasma. And if the plasma has the right frequency – the same as the dark matter – then it produces low-frequency radio emissions.
An electrically small dipole antenna targeting the generated radio waves can be orders of magnitude more sensitive to dark photon and axion-like particle dark matter in the relevant mass range. The present study opens up a promising way of testing a hitherto unexplored parameter space which could be further improved with a dedicated instrument.
The catch is dark matter must exist as axions for this to work. These are theoretical elementary particles that scientists first proposed in the 1970s. They, too, have never been definitively detected.
Axion quark nuggets
Another paper appearing on arXiv.org in May 2024 wonders if theoretical dark matter particles are behind strange, yet-to-be-explained events on Earth. Author Ariel Zhitnitsky, a physicist at the University of British Columbia, said the enigmas could be explained by axion quark nuggets striking our planet:
It has been recently argued that there are a number of mysterious observations which are very hard to explain by conventional physics. The mysterious anomalies include (but are not limited to) such unexpected correlations as temperature variation in the stratosphere, the total electron content of the Earth’s atmosphere, the earthquake activity from one hand, and positions of the planets from another hand.
Zhitnitsky’s comment refers to work by other theorists. Unfortunately, the brief available online provides no details. However, the physicist said these and other puzzles may be explained by dark matter striking Earth:
It has been hypothesized that the corresponding mysterious correlations are a result of the ‘streaming invisible matter’ which suddenly becomes very strongly interacting material when entering the Earth’s atmosphere. We propose that some of these (and many other) mysteries might be result of rare (but energetic) events when the so-called axion quark nuggets (AQN) hit the Earth.
Evidence right under our feet?
Theoretical particles come in matched pairs of opposites. In this case, it’s the aptly named “axion antiquark nugget” (AQ¯N). If these nuggets exist, they’ll have very little mass compared to their size. That means we’d need a huge detector, something about, say, the size of Earth.
A paper published just this month (July 2024) proposes a way to look for evidence of dark matter interactions in the rocks below our feet:
This paper presents a new idea for the direct detection of the AQ¯Ns using minerals as natural rock deposits acting as paleo-detectors, where the latent signals of luminescence produced by interactions of AQ¯Ns are registered and can be identified as an increased and symmetrical deposited dose.
In other words, the light produced by AQN/AQ¯N interactions ongoing since the universe began should leave a trace on Earth’s geology. The signal should be detectable, according to the theory, in various minerals from natural deposits. Now, like dark matter, they just have to find it.
Bottom line: Recent research suggests evidence for dark matter is – or might be found – in extreme locations. Researchers are looking in distant galaxies and here on Earth.
12 years ago on August 5: A nail-biter of a Mars landing
Tomorrow is the 12-year anniversary of the Curiosity rover’s successful landing on the planet Mars. The landing was unprecedented for its use of new technologies designed to get the rover to Mars’ surface safely. First, Curiosity hit the top of Mars’ thin atmosphere at a velocity of about 13,000 miles per hour (about 6,000 meters per second). Then, in seven minutes, it had to decelerate and then set down, hopefully gently, on the red planet’s surface. Space engineers at the time described the landing as:
… seven minutes of terror.
And, to everyone’s great relief, Curiosity set down safely in Gale Crater on Mars at 10:31 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on August 5, 2012.
Getting there is easy, but landing there is not
Going to the red planet is relatively easy. But landing on Mars is hard. In 2003, veteran NASA official Firouz Naderi commented:
Mars is a favorite target.
We – the United States and former USSR – have been going to Mars for 40 years. The first time we flew by a planet, it was Mars. The first time we orbited a planet, it was Mars. And the first time we landed on a planet it was Mars. The first time we roved around the surface of a planet, it was Mars. We go there often.
Around that time – around the turn of this century – the world was averaging about two failures for every three spacecraft launched toward Mars, according to NASA. There were a total of 39 Mars missions launched, and 25 failures or partial failures by the year 2000, according to Wikipedia.
But then we got better at it. And as the video above shows, Curiosity’s landing used a combination of complicated new technologies, including a new guided entry system and a rocket-powered sky crane that used cables to lower the 1-ton robot rover to the Martian surface.
Mars Curiosity rover still going strong
Since 2012, Curiosity has been crawling across Mars’ surface serving as a robot extension of our human senses in exploring Gale Crater on Mars. Curiosity has covered almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) of Mars. The rover has learned, among many other things, that Gale Crater might once have held a great salty lake.
Artist’s concept of Curiosity rover’s landing on Mars, via a “sky crane” and cables. The new rover that arrived at Mars in March 2021 – Perseverance – also landed on Mars via sky crane. Image via NASA.NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity took this self-portrait on May 11, 2016, at the “Okoruso” drilling site in the foothills of Mount Sharp, the central peak of Gale Crater. If Gale Crater once held a lake, Mount Sharp might have been an island in the middle of that lake. This self-portrait combines multiple images taken with the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), during the 1,338th Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s work on Mars. Image via NASA.
Perseverance was the next to land
Curiosity was followed to Mars by another robot rover, Perseverance, which launched from Earth on July 30, 2020. Finally, Perseverance touched down on Mars landing in Jezero Crater on Mars on February 18, 2021. And Perseverance is largely the same design as Curiosity. When the $2.4 billion spacecraft carrying it reached Mars, it also hit the atmosphere at high speed (more than 12,000 miles per hour or 19,000 kph) and then came to a complete stop on Mars’ surface seven minutes later. Like Curiosity, it landed via “sky crane,” but with one big difference: the sky crane technology was now tried-and-true.
Still, as with Curiosity, space engineers surely experienced a nail-biting seven minutes, waiting to hear that the Perseverance rover had set down successfully, as gently as it could, on Mars’ surface.
There, it joined the other Mars rovers in the search for life on Mars, and an exploration of the planet’s surface, atmosphere and history. Perseverance brought with it a special helicopter named Ingenuity that explored the Martian surface as well until its mission ended in January 2024.
Read more from the NY Times: Too much Mars? An interesting discussion between two veteran space journalists about why Mars seems to absorb so much of the oxygen – and budgetary resources – in the rooms where explorations of our solar system are decided.
Parachute test for Mars Perseverance rover. The images were taken on September 7, 2018, during the third and final flight of the Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE) project. Read more about this image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech.
Why is landing on Mars so hard? This 2017 video from MinutePhysics does a great job of explaining it:
Bottom line: Watch a NASA video describing the final seven minutes of the Curiosity rover’s chilling descent to the surface of Mars 12 years ago on August 5-6, 2012. Plus learn a bit about how the Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021.
12 years ago on August 5: A nail-biter of a Mars landing
Tomorrow is the 12-year anniversary of the Curiosity rover’s successful landing on the planet Mars. The landing was unprecedented for its use of new technologies designed to get the rover to Mars’ surface safely. First, Curiosity hit the top of Mars’ thin atmosphere at a velocity of about 13,000 miles per hour (about 6,000 meters per second). Then, in seven minutes, it had to decelerate and then set down, hopefully gently, on the red planet’s surface. Space engineers at the time described the landing as:
… seven minutes of terror.
And, to everyone’s great relief, Curiosity set down safely in Gale Crater on Mars at 10:31 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time on August 5, 2012.
Getting there is easy, but landing there is not
Going to the red planet is relatively easy. But landing on Mars is hard. In 2003, veteran NASA official Firouz Naderi commented:
Mars is a favorite target.
We – the United States and former USSR – have been going to Mars for 40 years. The first time we flew by a planet, it was Mars. The first time we orbited a planet, it was Mars. And the first time we landed on a planet it was Mars. The first time we roved around the surface of a planet, it was Mars. We go there often.
Around that time – around the turn of this century – the world was averaging about two failures for every three spacecraft launched toward Mars, according to NASA. There were a total of 39 Mars missions launched, and 25 failures or partial failures by the year 2000, according to Wikipedia.
But then we got better at it. And as the video above shows, Curiosity’s landing used a combination of complicated new technologies, including a new guided entry system and a rocket-powered sky crane that used cables to lower the 1-ton robot rover to the Martian surface.
Mars Curiosity rover still going strong
Since 2012, Curiosity has been crawling across Mars’ surface serving as a robot extension of our human senses in exploring Gale Crater on Mars. Curiosity has covered almost 20 miles (32 kilometers) of Mars. The rover has learned, among many other things, that Gale Crater might once have held a great salty lake.
Artist’s concept of Curiosity rover’s landing on Mars, via a “sky crane” and cables. The new rover that arrived at Mars in March 2021 – Perseverance – also landed on Mars via sky crane. Image via NASA.NASA’s Mars rover Curiosity took this self-portrait on May 11, 2016, at the “Okoruso” drilling site in the foothills of Mount Sharp, the central peak of Gale Crater. If Gale Crater once held a lake, Mount Sharp might have been an island in the middle of that lake. This self-portrait combines multiple images taken with the rover’s Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), during the 1,338th Martian day, or sol, of the rover’s work on Mars. Image via NASA.
Perseverance was the next to land
Curiosity was followed to Mars by another robot rover, Perseverance, which launched from Earth on July 30, 2020. Finally, Perseverance touched down on Mars landing in Jezero Crater on Mars on February 18, 2021. And Perseverance is largely the same design as Curiosity. When the $2.4 billion spacecraft carrying it reached Mars, it also hit the atmosphere at high speed (more than 12,000 miles per hour or 19,000 kph) and then came to a complete stop on Mars’ surface seven minutes later. Like Curiosity, it landed via “sky crane,” but with one big difference: the sky crane technology was now tried-and-true.
Still, as with Curiosity, space engineers surely experienced a nail-biting seven minutes, waiting to hear that the Perseverance rover had set down successfully, as gently as it could, on Mars’ surface.
There, it joined the other Mars rovers in the search for life on Mars, and an exploration of the planet’s surface, atmosphere and history. Perseverance brought with it a special helicopter named Ingenuity that explored the Martian surface as well until its mission ended in January 2024.
Read more from the NY Times: Too much Mars? An interesting discussion between two veteran space journalists about why Mars seems to absorb so much of the oxygen – and budgetary resources – in the rooms where explorations of our solar system are decided.
Parachute test for Mars Perseverance rover. The images were taken on September 7, 2018, during the third and final flight of the Advanced Supersonic Parachute Inflation Research Experiment (ASPIRE) project. Read more about this image via NASA/ JPL-Caltech.
Why is landing on Mars so hard? This 2017 video from MinutePhysics does a great job of explaining it:
Bottom line: Watch a NASA video describing the final seven minutes of the Curiosity rover’s chilling descent to the surface of Mars 12 years ago on August 5-6, 2012. Plus learn a bit about how the Perseverance rover landed on Mars in 2021.
The Delta Aquariids meteor shower is going on now. This is a long meteor shower, rambling across the skies for weeks in late July and early August. In late July, you might catch some early Perseids, too. The Perseids have a more definite peak. And 2024 will be a grand year for the Perseids, with the best mornings likely being August 11 and 12. Read more and see videos below.
Here’s a 1-minute preview video of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower.
Late July to mid-August 2024 meteors … the Delta Aquariids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 15:16 UTC on July 30, 2024. But this shower doesn’t have a noticeable peak. It rambles along steadily from late July through early August, joining forces with the August Perseids. When to watch: Watch late July through early August, mid-evening to dawn. Duration of shower: July 18 to August 21. Radiant: Rises in mid-evening, highest around 2 a.m. and low in the sky by dawn. See chart below. Nearest moon phase: In 2024, last quarter moon falls at 2:52 UTC on July 28. Take advantage of the moon-free evenings – before midnight – in late July for watching the Delta Aquariids (and the early Perseids). Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: The Delta Aquariids’ maximum hourly rate can reach 15 to 20 meteors in a dark sky with no moon. You’ll typically see plenty of Delta Aquariids mixed in with the Perseids, if you’re watching in early August. Note: Like May’s Eta Aquariids, July’s Delta Aquariids favors the Southern Hemisphere. Skywatchers at high northern latitudes tend to discount it. But the shower can be excellent from latitudes like those in the southern U.S. Delta Aquariid meteors tend to be fainter than Perseid meteors. So a moon-free dark sky is essential. About 5% to 10% of the Delta Aquariid meteors leave persistent trains, glowing ionized gas trails that last a second or two after the meteor has passed.
Delta Aquariid meteors radiate from near the star Skat, aka Delta Aquarii, in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. This star is near bright Fomalhaut. In late July to early August, Fomalhaut is highest around 2 a.m. (on your clock no matter where you are). It’s southward from the Northern Hemisphere, closer to overhead from the Southern Hemisphere. Fomalhaut appears bright and solitary in the sky. To find it, draw a line roughly southward through the stars on the west side of the Great Square of Pegasus.
Mid-July to mid-August 2024 meteors … the Perseids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 14 UTC on August 12, 2024. So the mornings of August 11 and 12 are probably your best bets. August 13 might be good as well, but be aware that the Perseids tend to fall off rapidly after their peak. When to watch: The moon will be at 1st quarter and 50% illuminated during 2024’s peak of the Perseid meteor shower. So the best time to watch for Perseids will be starting around midnight until dawn. This shower rises to a peak gradually, then falls off rapidly. And Perseid meteors tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into the wee hours before dawn. The shower is often best just before dawn. Radiant: The radiant rises in the middle of the night and is highest at dawn. See chart below. Nearest moon phase:First quarter moon falls at 15:19 UTC on August 12. And a 1st quarter moon sets around midnight, so you’ll have dark skies after then until dawn. Duration of shower: July 14 to September 1. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, skywatchers frequently report 90 meteors per hour, or more. The August Perseid meteor shower is rich and steady, from early August through the peak. The meteors are colorful. And they frequently leave persistent trains. All of these factors make the Perseid shower perhaps the most beloved meteor shower for the Northern Hemisphere.
Perseid meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. The radiant rises in late evening and is highest at dawn. Remember … you don’t have to find a shower’s radiant point to see meteors. The meteors will be flying in all parts of the sky.
Early October meteors … the Draconids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 3 UTC on October 8, 2024. When to watch: The best time to watch the Draconids in 2024 is the evening of October 7 through the wee hours of the morning on October 8. The waxing crescent moon (27% illuminated) will set before 9 p.m. your local time. So you can watch for meteors in a moonless sky. Overall duration of shower: October 6 through 10. Radiant: Highest in the sky in the evening hours. See chart below. Nearest moon phase:First quarter moon is 18:55 UTC on October 10. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, you might catch 10 Draconid meteors per hour. Note: The Draconid shower is a real oddity, in that the radiant point stands highest in the sky as darkness falls. That means that, unlike many meteor showers, more Draconids are likely to fly in the evening hours than in the morning hours after midnight. This shower is usually a sleeper, producing only a handful of languid meteors per hour in most years. But watch out if the Dragon awakes! In rare instances, fiery Draco has been known to spew forth many hundreds of meteors in a single hour. That possibility keeps many skywatchers outside – even in moonlight – during this shower.
The radiant point for the Draconid meteor shower almost coincides with the head of the constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky. That’s why you can view the Draconids best from the Northern Hemisphere. This chart faces northward at nightfall in October. The Big Dipper sits low in the northwest. From the southern U.S. and comparable latitudes, in October, obstructions on your northern horizon might hide the Big Dipper from view. From farther south – say, the Southern Hemisphere – you won’t see the Dipper at all in the evening at this time of year. But, if you can spot it low in the sky, use the Big Dipper to star-hop to the star Polaris. Polaris marks the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Got all these stars? Then you should also be able to spot Eltanin and Rastaban, the Draconids’ radiant point, high in the northwest sky at nightfall in early October. Draconid meteors radiate from near these stars, which are known as the Dragon’s Eyes.
Late October meteors … the Orionids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 18:14 UTC on October 20, 2024. When to watch: Watch for Orionid meteors on both the mornings of October 20 and 21, starting after midnight through the wee hours before dawn. Overall duration of shower: September 26 to November 22. Radiant: The radiant rises before midnight and is highest in the sky around 2 a.m. See chart below. Nearest moon phase: The full moon falls at 11:26 UTC on October 17. So, at the Orionids’ peak, the the waning gibbous moon will interfere with the meteor shower. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, the Orionids exhibit a maximum of about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. Note: These fast-moving meteors occasionally leave persistent trains. The Orionids sometimes produce bright fireballs.
If you trace Orionid meteors backward on the sky’s dome, they seem to radiate from the upraised club of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter. This is the shower’s radiant point. The bright star near the radiant point is reddish Betelgeuse. Chart via Chelynne Campion/ EarthSky.
October into early November … the South and North Taurids
Predicted peak: The South Taurids’ predicted** peak is for 7 UTC on November 5, 2024. The North Taurids’ predicted** peak is for 6 UTC on November 12, 2024. Both the South and North Taurids don’t have very definite peaks. They ramble along in October and November and are especially noticeable from late October into early November, when they overlap. When to watch: Best around midnight, and on the days around November 5 when the moon won’t interfere. Overall duration of shower: The South Taurids run from about September 23 to November 12. North Taurids are active from about October 13 to December 2. Radiant: Rises in early evening, highest in the sky around midnight. See chart below. Nearest moon phases: In 2024, the first quarter moon falls at 5:55 UTC on November 9. The new moon is at 12:47 UTC on November 1, and it’s before the predicted peak of the South Taurids on November 5, so the days around then will be the best days to watch for Taurid meteors. However, the waxing crescent moon – 3 days before a full moon at 21:29 UTC on November 15 – will interfere with most meteors around the November 12 peak of the North Taurids. You’ll catch Taurid meteors throughout October and November. Visit Sunrise Sunset Calendars to see moon rising times for your location. Be sure to check the moon rising time box. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under dark skies with no moon, both the South and North Taurid meteor showers produce about five meteors per hour (10 total when they overlap). Also, watch for fireballs. Note:Taurid meteors tend to be slow-moving but sometimes very bright. The showers sometimes produce fireballs, which made their cyclical reappearance in 2022. The American Meteor Society pointed to “a seven-year periodicity” with Taurid fireballs. 2008 and 2015 both produced them. 2022 did as well. The Taurid fireball display, in 2015, was really fun! Photos and video of 2015 Taurid fireballs here.
The Taurid meteors consist of 2 streams, the South Taurid meteors and North Taurid meteors. Both streams appear to originate from the constellation Taurus the Bull. Typically, you see the maximum numbers at or around midnight, when Taurus is highest in the sky.
Mid-November meteors … the Leonids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 5 UTC on November 18, 2024. When to watch: Watch late on the night of November 17 until dawn on November 18. The morning of November 17 might be worthwhile, too. Duration of shower: November 3 through December 2. Radiant: Rises around midnight, highest in the sky at dawn. Nearest moon phase: In 2024, the full moon falls at 21:29 UTC on November 15. So the bright waning gibbous moon will wash out some meteors in 2024. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, you might see 10 to 15 Leonid meteors per hour. Note: The famous Leonid meteor shower produced one of the greatest meteor storms in living memory. Rates were as high as thousands of meteors per minute during a 15-minute span on the morning of November 17, 1966. That night, Leonid meteors did, briefly, fall like rain. Some who witnessed it had a strong impression of Earth moving through space, fording the meteor stream. Leonid meteor storms sometimes recur in cycles of 33 to 34 years. But the Leonids around the turn of the century – while wonderful for many observers – did not match the shower of 1966. And, in most years, the Lion whimpers rather than roars.
Leonids stream from a single point in the sky – their radiant point – in the constellation Leo the Lion. Leo rises just before midnight in mid-November. Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the, dots a backwards question mark of stars known as the Sickle.
Early to mid-December meteors … the Geminids
Predicted peak: is predicted** for 21 UTC on December 13, 2024. When to watch: Since the radiant rises in mid-evening, you can watch for Geminids all night around the peak dates of December 13. However, an almost full moon will compete with the Geminids in 2024. Luckily, a lot of Geminid meteors are bright. Find a way to block out the bright moon when watching the sky. Overall duration of shower: November 19 to December 24. Radiant: Rises in mid-evening, highest around 2 a.m. See chart below. Nearest moon phase: In 2024, the full moon falls at 9:02 UTC on December 15. So there will be a moonlit sky during the peak of the 2024 Geminid meteor shower. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, you might catch 120 Geminid meteors per hour. Note: The bold, white, bright Geminids give us one of the Northern Hemisphere’s best showers, especially in years when there’s no moon. They’re also visible, at lower rates, from the Southern Hemisphere. The meteors are plentiful, rivaling the August Perseids.
Geminid meteors radiate from near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini the Twins, in the east on December evenings.
Meteor shower around the December solstice … the Ursids
Predicted peak: is predicted** for 5:22 UTC on December 22, 2024. When to watch: Watch for Ursid meteors in the early morning hours of December 22. Duration of shower: Ursids range from December 13 to 24, so you might see some intermingling with the Geminids’ peak. Radiant: Circumpolar at northerly latitudes. Nearest moon phase: A last quarter moon occurs at 22:18 UTC on December 22. So the moon – at 54% illumination – may interfere with the Ursids after midnight until dawn. Try to block out the moon after it rises around midnight. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, the Ursids offer perhaps five to 10 meteors per hour. Note: This low-key meteor shower – which always peaks around the solstice – is somewhat overlooked due to the holiday season. Its hourly rate is lower than that of the popular Geminid shower, which peaks over a week before.
The Ursids are named for their radiant point in the constellation Ursa Minor, which contains the Little Dipper. And the Little Dipper contains the North Pole. So for the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant is above the horizon all night long. Chart via Chelynne Campion/ EarthSky.
Early January 2025 meteors … the Quadrantids
When to watch: The best night for the 2024 Quadrantids is January 2-3. (The predicted peak** is 19 UTC on January 3). Nearest moon phase: A first quarter moon will come at 23:56 UTC on January 6, 2025 (CST) so the moon will be a waxing crescent and set late on January 2 and not interfere with the Quadrantid meteors. Radiant: Rises in the north-northeast after midnight and is highest up before dawn. The radiant point for the Quadrantids is in a now-obsolete constellation, Quadrans Muralis the Mural Quadrant. Nowadays, we see the radiant near the famous Big Dipper asterism. Because the Quadrantid radiant is far to the north on the sky’s dome, this is mostly a far-northern shower, not as good for the Southern Hemisphere. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, when the radiant is high in the sky, the Quadrantids can (briefly) produce over 100 meteors per hour. Duration of shower: The Quadrantid meteor shower runs from mid-November through mid-January each year, according to this 2017 article in the journal Icarus. You might see a Quadrantid streak by any time during that interval. But most activity is centered on the peak. Note: The Quadrantid shower is one of four major meteor showers each year with a sharp peak (the other three are the Lyrids, Leonids, and Ursids).
The radiant point for the Quadrantid meteor shower is far to the north in the sky and so best seen from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. From mid-northern latitudes, the radiant point for the Quadrantid meteor shower climbs over the horizon after midnight and is highest up before dawn.
April 2025 meteors … the Lyrids
When to watch in 2025: Late evening April 21 until dawn April 22 will be best. The predicted** peak is 16 UTC on April 22. The peak of the Lyrids is narrow (no weeks-long stretches of meteor-watching, as with some showers). In 2025, the last quarter moon falls at 1:36 UTC on April 21. So meteor watching will be impacted by a thick waning crescent moon. Radiant: Rises before midnight, highest in the sky at dawn. Nearest moon phase: Last quarter moon falls at 1:36 UTC on April 21. So a fat waning crescent moon will be in the sky during the peak morning for the 2025’s Lyrid meteor shower. Duration of shower: April 15 to April 29. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: In a dark sky with no moon, you might see 10 to 15 Lyrids per hour. The Lyrids are known for uncommon surges that can sometimes bring rates of up to 100 per hour! Read more about Lyrid outbursts. Note for Southern Hemisphere: This shower’s radiant point is far to the north on the sky’s dome. So the Southern Hemisphere will see fewer Lyrid meteors. Still, you might see some!
Lyrid meteors radiate from near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. You don’t need to identify Vega or Lyra in order to watch the Lyrid meteor shower. But you do need to know when the radiant rises, in this case in the northeast before midnight. That’s why the Lyrids are typically best between midnight and dawn.
May 2025 meteors … the Eta Aquariids
When to watch: The best morning to watch is May 5, 2025, in the hours before dawn. Why before dawn? See “Radiant” below.The American Meteor Society is listing 15 UTC on May 5 as the shower’s predicted** peak time. But times vary between different experts. And the peak of this shower stretches out over several days. So you can expect elevated numbers of meteors a few days before and after the peak time. Nearest moon phase: The first quarter moon will fall at 13:52 UTC on May 4. So the sky before dawn on the mornings around the predicted peak will be dark and moonless for the 2025 Eta Aquariids. Radiant: Will rise in the wee hours, climbing toward its highest point at dawn. That’s why before dawn will be the best time to watch this shower. Duration of shower: April 15 to May 27. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: In the southern half of the U.S., you might see 10 to 20 meteors per hour under a dark sky, with no moon, when the radiant is high in the sky. Farther south – at latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere – you might see two to three times that number. Note: The Eta Aquariids’ radiant will be on the ecliptic, which will ride low in the sky on spring mornings as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. That’s why this shower favors the Southern Hemisphere. It’s often that hemisphere’s best meteor shower of the year.
The radiant point of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower will be near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The radiant will rise in the wee hours after midnight and will continue climbing toward its highest point at dawn. That highest point will be in the south as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, closer to overhead for the Southern Hemisphere. That’s why the Southern Hemisphere will see more meteors (the radiant will be higher up), and it’s why – for all of us around the globe – the hours before dawn will be best for this shower.
June 2025 daytime meteor shower … the Arietids
Most meteor showers are easy to observe. Just find a dark sky, and look up! But what about meteor showers that happen in the daytime, when the sun is up? The Arietids are sometimes said to be the most active daytime meteor shower. In 2025, their predicted** peak will be around the mornings of June 7. You might catch some Arietids around that morning in the dark hour before dawn.
When to watch: Watch from May 29 to June 17. There’s a predicted** peak for the mornings around June 7, 2025. Watch for them in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn breaks. Nearest moon phase: In 2025, a 1st quarter moon occurs at 13:52 UTC on June 4. Radiant: The shower’s radiant point – the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to radiate – is in the constellation Aries. You’ll find this constellation in the east before sunrise. Duration of shower: May 29 to June 17. Expected meteors at peak: This is tricky for daytime meteor showers because once the sun comes up, you won’t be able to see them. But the Arietids have a strong zenithal hourly rate (ZHR)! Meteor counts with radar and radio echoes have indicated a rate of 60 meteors per hour, and perhaps as high as 200 meteors per hour. Note: The Arietids are sometimes said to be the most active daytime meteor shower.
The Arietids are an active shower, but they’re visible mostly in daytime. Watch for them in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn from May 29 to June 17. You’ll be looking for meteors that shoot up from the horizon. The radiant is below the constellation Aries the Ram. Chart by John Jardine Goss.
Meteor shower guide: photos from the EarthSky community
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Photographer Thomas Hollowell in Colorado caught these Lyrid meteors on the morning of April 22, 2020, and said: “The 6 meteors in this frame were stacked in Photoshop on a set of 3 background frames.” Thanks, Thomas!Draconids near Tucson, Arizona, in 2013, by our friend Sean Parker Photography.James Younger sent in this photo during the 2015 peak of the Leonid meteor shower. It’s a meteor over the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest.View at EarthSky Community Photos. | William Mathe captured this image on December 20, 2019, in Lindon, Colorado. He wrote: “My wife and I made a 100-mile jaunt out into the eastern plains to try to capture one or more meteors from the Ursid meteor shower. We took this image facing due north. As you can see, just to the right of the little white church is Ursa Major pointing up to Polaris, and just to the left is a green ‘fireball’ meteor that lit up the sky for a second or two.” Thank you, William!Quadrantid radiant composite via Scott MacNeill of Frosty Drew Observatory in Charleston, Rhode Island.
Meteor shower words of wisdom
A wise person once said that meteor showers are like fishing. You go, you enjoy nature … and sometimes you catch something.
Bottom line: Up next is the Delta Aquariids meteor shower. They ramble across the skies for several weeks. Look for them from late July through early August.
**Peak times for meteor showers provided by Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society. Note that predictions for meteor shower peak times may vary.Back to top.
The Delta Aquariids meteor shower is going on now. This is a long meteor shower, rambling across the skies for weeks in late July and early August. In late July, you might catch some early Perseids, too. The Perseids have a more definite peak. And 2024 will be a grand year for the Perseids, with the best mornings likely being August 11 and 12. Read more and see videos below.
Here’s a 1-minute preview video of the Delta Aquariid meteor shower.
Late July to mid-August 2024 meteors … the Delta Aquariids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 15:16 UTC on July 30, 2024. But this shower doesn’t have a noticeable peak. It rambles along steadily from late July through early August, joining forces with the August Perseids. When to watch: Watch late July through early August, mid-evening to dawn. Duration of shower: July 18 to August 21. Radiant: Rises in mid-evening, highest around 2 a.m. and low in the sky by dawn. See chart below. Nearest moon phase: In 2024, last quarter moon falls at 2:52 UTC on July 28. Take advantage of the moon-free evenings – before midnight – in late July for watching the Delta Aquariids (and the early Perseids). Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: The Delta Aquariids’ maximum hourly rate can reach 15 to 20 meteors in a dark sky with no moon. You’ll typically see plenty of Delta Aquariids mixed in with the Perseids, if you’re watching in early August. Note: Like May’s Eta Aquariids, July’s Delta Aquariids favors the Southern Hemisphere. Skywatchers at high northern latitudes tend to discount it. But the shower can be excellent from latitudes like those in the southern U.S. Delta Aquariid meteors tend to be fainter than Perseid meteors. So a moon-free dark sky is essential. About 5% to 10% of the Delta Aquariid meteors leave persistent trains, glowing ionized gas trails that last a second or two after the meteor has passed.
Delta Aquariid meteors radiate from near the star Skat, aka Delta Aquarii, in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. This star is near bright Fomalhaut. In late July to early August, Fomalhaut is highest around 2 a.m. (on your clock no matter where you are). It’s southward from the Northern Hemisphere, closer to overhead from the Southern Hemisphere. Fomalhaut appears bright and solitary in the sky. To find it, draw a line roughly southward through the stars on the west side of the Great Square of Pegasus.
Mid-July to mid-August 2024 meteors … the Perseids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 14 UTC on August 12, 2024. So the mornings of August 11 and 12 are probably your best bets. August 13 might be good as well, but be aware that the Perseids tend to fall off rapidly after their peak. When to watch: The moon will be at 1st quarter and 50% illuminated during 2024’s peak of the Perseid meteor shower. So the best time to watch for Perseids will be starting around midnight until dawn. This shower rises to a peak gradually, then falls off rapidly. And Perseid meteors tend to strengthen in number as late night deepens into the wee hours before dawn. The shower is often best just before dawn. Radiant: The radiant rises in the middle of the night and is highest at dawn. See chart below. Nearest moon phase:First quarter moon falls at 15:19 UTC on August 12. And a 1st quarter moon sets around midnight, so you’ll have dark skies after then until dawn. Duration of shower: July 14 to September 1. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, skywatchers frequently report 90 meteors per hour, or more. The August Perseid meteor shower is rich and steady, from early August through the peak. The meteors are colorful. And they frequently leave persistent trains. All of these factors make the Perseid shower perhaps the most beloved meteor shower for the Northern Hemisphere.
Perseid meteors radiate from a point in the constellation Perseus the Hero. The radiant rises in late evening and is highest at dawn. Remember … you don’t have to find a shower’s radiant point to see meteors. The meteors will be flying in all parts of the sky.
Early October meteors … the Draconids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 3 UTC on October 8, 2024. When to watch: The best time to watch the Draconids in 2024 is the evening of October 7 through the wee hours of the morning on October 8. The waxing crescent moon (27% illuminated) will set before 9 p.m. your local time. So you can watch for meteors in a moonless sky. Overall duration of shower: October 6 through 10. Radiant: Highest in the sky in the evening hours. See chart below. Nearest moon phase:First quarter moon is 18:55 UTC on October 10. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, you might catch 10 Draconid meteors per hour. Note: The Draconid shower is a real oddity, in that the radiant point stands highest in the sky as darkness falls. That means that, unlike many meteor showers, more Draconids are likely to fly in the evening hours than in the morning hours after midnight. This shower is usually a sleeper, producing only a handful of languid meteors per hour in most years. But watch out if the Dragon awakes! In rare instances, fiery Draco has been known to spew forth many hundreds of meteors in a single hour. That possibility keeps many skywatchers outside – even in moonlight – during this shower.
The radiant point for the Draconid meteor shower almost coincides with the head of the constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky. That’s why you can view the Draconids best from the Northern Hemisphere. This chart faces northward at nightfall in October. The Big Dipper sits low in the northwest. From the southern U.S. and comparable latitudes, in October, obstructions on your northern horizon might hide the Big Dipper from view. From farther south – say, the Southern Hemisphere – you won’t see the Dipper at all in the evening at this time of year. But, if you can spot it low in the sky, use the Big Dipper to star-hop to the star Polaris. Polaris marks the end star in the handle of the Little Dipper. Got all these stars? Then you should also be able to spot Eltanin and Rastaban, the Draconids’ radiant point, high in the northwest sky at nightfall in early October. Draconid meteors radiate from near these stars, which are known as the Dragon’s Eyes.
Late October meteors … the Orionids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 18:14 UTC on October 20, 2024. When to watch: Watch for Orionid meteors on both the mornings of October 20 and 21, starting after midnight through the wee hours before dawn. Overall duration of shower: September 26 to November 22. Radiant: The radiant rises before midnight and is highest in the sky around 2 a.m. See chart below. Nearest moon phase: The full moon falls at 11:26 UTC on October 17. So, at the Orionids’ peak, the the waning gibbous moon will interfere with the meteor shower. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, the Orionids exhibit a maximum of about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. Note: These fast-moving meteors occasionally leave persistent trains. The Orionids sometimes produce bright fireballs.
If you trace Orionid meteors backward on the sky’s dome, they seem to radiate from the upraised club of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter. This is the shower’s radiant point. The bright star near the radiant point is reddish Betelgeuse. Chart via Chelynne Campion/ EarthSky.
October into early November … the South and North Taurids
Predicted peak: The South Taurids’ predicted** peak is for 7 UTC on November 5, 2024. The North Taurids’ predicted** peak is for 6 UTC on November 12, 2024. Both the South and North Taurids don’t have very definite peaks. They ramble along in October and November and are especially noticeable from late October into early November, when they overlap. When to watch: Best around midnight, and on the days around November 5 when the moon won’t interfere. Overall duration of shower: The South Taurids run from about September 23 to November 12. North Taurids are active from about October 13 to December 2. Radiant: Rises in early evening, highest in the sky around midnight. See chart below. Nearest moon phases: In 2024, the first quarter moon falls at 5:55 UTC on November 9. The new moon is at 12:47 UTC on November 1, and it’s before the predicted peak of the South Taurids on November 5, so the days around then will be the best days to watch for Taurid meteors. However, the waxing crescent moon – 3 days before a full moon at 21:29 UTC on November 15 – will interfere with most meteors around the November 12 peak of the North Taurids. You’ll catch Taurid meteors throughout October and November. Visit Sunrise Sunset Calendars to see moon rising times for your location. Be sure to check the moon rising time box. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under dark skies with no moon, both the South and North Taurid meteor showers produce about five meteors per hour (10 total when they overlap). Also, watch for fireballs. Note:Taurid meteors tend to be slow-moving but sometimes very bright. The showers sometimes produce fireballs, which made their cyclical reappearance in 2022. The American Meteor Society pointed to “a seven-year periodicity” with Taurid fireballs. 2008 and 2015 both produced them. 2022 did as well. The Taurid fireball display, in 2015, was really fun! Photos and video of 2015 Taurid fireballs here.
The Taurid meteors consist of 2 streams, the South Taurid meteors and North Taurid meteors. Both streams appear to originate from the constellation Taurus the Bull. Typically, you see the maximum numbers at or around midnight, when Taurus is highest in the sky.
Mid-November meteors … the Leonids
Predicted peak: The peak is predicted** for 5 UTC on November 18, 2024. When to watch: Watch late on the night of November 17 until dawn on November 18. The morning of November 17 might be worthwhile, too. Duration of shower: November 3 through December 2. Radiant: Rises around midnight, highest in the sky at dawn. Nearest moon phase: In 2024, the full moon falls at 21:29 UTC on November 15. So the bright waning gibbous moon will wash out some meteors in 2024. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, you might see 10 to 15 Leonid meteors per hour. Note: The famous Leonid meteor shower produced one of the greatest meteor storms in living memory. Rates were as high as thousands of meteors per minute during a 15-minute span on the morning of November 17, 1966. That night, Leonid meteors did, briefly, fall like rain. Some who witnessed it had a strong impression of Earth moving through space, fording the meteor stream. Leonid meteor storms sometimes recur in cycles of 33 to 34 years. But the Leonids around the turn of the century – while wonderful for many observers – did not match the shower of 1966. And, in most years, the Lion whimpers rather than roars.
Leonids stream from a single point in the sky – their radiant point – in the constellation Leo the Lion. Leo rises just before midnight in mid-November. Regulus, the brightest star in Leo the, dots a backwards question mark of stars known as the Sickle.
Early to mid-December meteors … the Geminids
Predicted peak: is predicted** for 21 UTC on December 13, 2024. When to watch: Since the radiant rises in mid-evening, you can watch for Geminids all night around the peak dates of December 13. However, an almost full moon will compete with the Geminids in 2024. Luckily, a lot of Geminid meteors are bright. Find a way to block out the bright moon when watching the sky. Overall duration of shower: November 19 to December 24. Radiant: Rises in mid-evening, highest around 2 a.m. See chart below. Nearest moon phase: In 2024, the full moon falls at 9:02 UTC on December 15. So there will be a moonlit sky during the peak of the 2024 Geminid meteor shower. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, you might catch 120 Geminid meteors per hour. Note: The bold, white, bright Geminids give us one of the Northern Hemisphere’s best showers, especially in years when there’s no moon. They’re also visible, at lower rates, from the Southern Hemisphere. The meteors are plentiful, rivaling the August Perseids.
Geminid meteors radiate from near the bright star Castor in the constellation Gemini the Twins, in the east on December evenings.
Meteor shower around the December solstice … the Ursids
Predicted peak: is predicted** for 5:22 UTC on December 22, 2024. When to watch: Watch for Ursid meteors in the early morning hours of December 22. Duration of shower: Ursids range from December 13 to 24, so you might see some intermingling with the Geminids’ peak. Radiant: Circumpolar at northerly latitudes. Nearest moon phase: A last quarter moon occurs at 22:18 UTC on December 22. So the moon – at 54% illumination – may interfere with the Ursids after midnight until dawn. Try to block out the moon after it rises around midnight. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, the Ursids offer perhaps five to 10 meteors per hour. Note: This low-key meteor shower – which always peaks around the solstice – is somewhat overlooked due to the holiday season. Its hourly rate is lower than that of the popular Geminid shower, which peaks over a week before.
The Ursids are named for their radiant point in the constellation Ursa Minor, which contains the Little Dipper. And the Little Dipper contains the North Pole. So for the Northern Hemisphere, the radiant is above the horizon all night long. Chart via Chelynne Campion/ EarthSky.
Early January 2025 meteors … the Quadrantids
When to watch: The best night for the 2024 Quadrantids is January 2-3. (The predicted peak** is 19 UTC on January 3). Nearest moon phase: A first quarter moon will come at 23:56 UTC on January 6, 2025 (CST) so the moon will be a waxing crescent and set late on January 2 and not interfere with the Quadrantid meteors. Radiant: Rises in the north-northeast after midnight and is highest up before dawn. The radiant point for the Quadrantids is in a now-obsolete constellation, Quadrans Muralis the Mural Quadrant. Nowadays, we see the radiant near the famous Big Dipper asterism. Because the Quadrantid radiant is far to the north on the sky’s dome, this is mostly a far-northern shower, not as good for the Southern Hemisphere. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: Under a dark sky with no moon, when the radiant is high in the sky, the Quadrantids can (briefly) produce over 100 meteors per hour. Duration of shower: The Quadrantid meteor shower runs from mid-November through mid-January each year, according to this 2017 article in the journal Icarus. You might see a Quadrantid streak by any time during that interval. But most activity is centered on the peak. Note: The Quadrantid shower is one of four major meteor showers each year with a sharp peak (the other three are the Lyrids, Leonids, and Ursids).
The radiant point for the Quadrantid meteor shower is far to the north in the sky and so best seen from Earth’s Northern Hemisphere. From mid-northern latitudes, the radiant point for the Quadrantid meteor shower climbs over the horizon after midnight and is highest up before dawn.
April 2025 meteors … the Lyrids
When to watch in 2025: Late evening April 21 until dawn April 22 will be best. The predicted** peak is 16 UTC on April 22. The peak of the Lyrids is narrow (no weeks-long stretches of meteor-watching, as with some showers). In 2025, the last quarter moon falls at 1:36 UTC on April 21. So meteor watching will be impacted by a thick waning crescent moon. Radiant: Rises before midnight, highest in the sky at dawn. Nearest moon phase: Last quarter moon falls at 1:36 UTC on April 21. So a fat waning crescent moon will be in the sky during the peak morning for the 2025’s Lyrid meteor shower. Duration of shower: April 15 to April 29. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: In a dark sky with no moon, you might see 10 to 15 Lyrids per hour. The Lyrids are known for uncommon surges that can sometimes bring rates of up to 100 per hour! Read more about Lyrid outbursts. Note for Southern Hemisphere: This shower’s radiant point is far to the north on the sky’s dome. So the Southern Hemisphere will see fewer Lyrid meteors. Still, you might see some!
Lyrid meteors radiate from near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp. You don’t need to identify Vega or Lyra in order to watch the Lyrid meteor shower. But you do need to know when the radiant rises, in this case in the northeast before midnight. That’s why the Lyrids are typically best between midnight and dawn.
May 2025 meteors … the Eta Aquariids
When to watch: The best morning to watch is May 5, 2025, in the hours before dawn. Why before dawn? See “Radiant” below.The American Meteor Society is listing 15 UTC on May 5 as the shower’s predicted** peak time. But times vary between different experts. And the peak of this shower stretches out over several days. So you can expect elevated numbers of meteors a few days before and after the peak time. Nearest moon phase: The first quarter moon will fall at 13:52 UTC on May 4. So the sky before dawn on the mornings around the predicted peak will be dark and moonless for the 2025 Eta Aquariids. Radiant: Will rise in the wee hours, climbing toward its highest point at dawn. That’s why before dawn will be the best time to watch this shower. Duration of shower: April 15 to May 27. Expected meteors at peak, under ideal conditions: In the southern half of the U.S., you might see 10 to 20 meteors per hour under a dark sky, with no moon, when the radiant is high in the sky. Farther south – at latitudes in the Southern Hemisphere – you might see two to three times that number. Note: The Eta Aquariids’ radiant will be on the ecliptic, which will ride low in the sky on spring mornings as seen from the Northern Hemisphere. That’s why this shower favors the Southern Hemisphere. It’s often that hemisphere’s best meteor shower of the year.
The radiant point of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower will be near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius the Water Bearer. The radiant will rise in the wee hours after midnight and will continue climbing toward its highest point at dawn. That highest point will be in the south as viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, closer to overhead for the Southern Hemisphere. That’s why the Southern Hemisphere will see more meteors (the radiant will be higher up), and it’s why – for all of us around the globe – the hours before dawn will be best for this shower.
June 2025 daytime meteor shower … the Arietids
Most meteor showers are easy to observe. Just find a dark sky, and look up! But what about meteor showers that happen in the daytime, when the sun is up? The Arietids are sometimes said to be the most active daytime meteor shower. In 2025, their predicted** peak will be around the mornings of June 7. You might catch some Arietids around that morning in the dark hour before dawn.
When to watch: Watch from May 29 to June 17. There’s a predicted** peak for the mornings around June 7, 2025. Watch for them in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn breaks. Nearest moon phase: In 2025, a 1st quarter moon occurs at 13:52 UTC on June 4. Radiant: The shower’s radiant point – the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to radiate – is in the constellation Aries. You’ll find this constellation in the east before sunrise. Duration of shower: May 29 to June 17. Expected meteors at peak: This is tricky for daytime meteor showers because once the sun comes up, you won’t be able to see them. But the Arietids have a strong zenithal hourly rate (ZHR)! Meteor counts with radar and radio echoes have indicated a rate of 60 meteors per hour, and perhaps as high as 200 meteors per hour. Note: The Arietids are sometimes said to be the most active daytime meteor shower.
The Arietids are an active shower, but they’re visible mostly in daytime. Watch for them in the sunrise direction in the dark hour before dawn from May 29 to June 17. You’ll be looking for meteors that shoot up from the horizon. The radiant is below the constellation Aries the Ram. Chart by John Jardine Goss.
Meteor shower guide: photos from the EarthSky community
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Photographer Thomas Hollowell in Colorado caught these Lyrid meteors on the morning of April 22, 2020, and said: “The 6 meteors in this frame were stacked in Photoshop on a set of 3 background frames.” Thanks, Thomas!Draconids near Tucson, Arizona, in 2013, by our friend Sean Parker Photography.James Younger sent in this photo during the 2015 peak of the Leonid meteor shower. It’s a meteor over the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Northwest.View at EarthSky Community Photos. | William Mathe captured this image on December 20, 2019, in Lindon, Colorado. He wrote: “My wife and I made a 100-mile jaunt out into the eastern plains to try to capture one or more meteors from the Ursid meteor shower. We took this image facing due north. As you can see, just to the right of the little white church is Ursa Major pointing up to Polaris, and just to the left is a green ‘fireball’ meteor that lit up the sky for a second or two.” Thank you, William!Quadrantid radiant composite via Scott MacNeill of Frosty Drew Observatory in Charleston, Rhode Island.
Meteor shower words of wisdom
A wise person once said that meteor showers are like fishing. You go, you enjoy nature … and sometimes you catch something.
Bottom line: Up next is the Delta Aquariids meteor shower. They ramble across the skies for several weeks. Look for them from late July through early August.
**Peak times for meteor showers provided by Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society. Note that predictions for meteor shower peak times may vary.Back to top.
