Meteor Shower Calendar
Nominal major-shower peaks and local dark-window estimates.
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- Free preview: the rules, dates and checks that apply to your figures, with every computed amount hidden.
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Conventions and model limits
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About the Meteor Shower Calendar
Calculate nominal peaks for fifteen major meteor-shower references by finding the Sun’s J2000 longitude crossing in the chosen year. The IMO working list supplies reference radiants, speed, activity periods and ideal ZHR; the local calculation adds peak moonlight and sampled astronomical-dark viewing windows.
The free preview masks calculated quantities. A Pro pass opens the full calendar, local radiant details, copy, text and PDF reports and an ICS download. These crossings are annual reference times rather than guaranteed measured maxima or meteor-count forecasts.
How to use it
- Choose a supported year, coordinates, observer height and output time zone.
- Set the minimum radiant altitude for viewing windows.
- Calculate the nominal reference crossings, Moon illumination and local radiant positions.
- Read the selected ten-minute sampled window: Moon-below-horizon periods are preferred, then higher radiant altitude.
- With a pass, copy or download the full report or nominal-peak ICS calendar.
Examples
Year 2027; J2000 solar longitude 283.15°
A nominal crossing near January 4, 03:25 UTC; actual return activity can differ.
A northern location and a low southern radiant
There can be no eligible dark sample above the chosen altitude threshold, even when the shower is active globally.
What best viewing means here
Within 18 hours either side of nominal peak, the calculation samples every ten minutes. The Sun must be 18° below the geometric horizon and the radiant above your threshold. It prefers moonless candidates and then the highest radiant sample. Nearby radiant drift is a short-window linear approximation from adjacent reference entries.
Sources
The IMO visual working list and radiant table supplies the reconstructed factual references. Calculation library documentation describes the ephemeris, coordinate conventions and its stated validation scope. Model predictions remain distinct from observations.
Limitations
- A modern nominal working list does not prove historical rates, future outbreaks or the exact maximum of each return.
- ZHR is an ideal standardized rate; it is not the number you will see. Weather, limiting magnitude, radiant height and return activity matter.
- Window edges and best times are sample estimates, not continuous optimizations. One eligible sample is labelled separately and establishes no continuous observing duration. The Draconid radiant is held fixed where no adjacent drift reference exists.
Privacy
On this device; its files download once
Calculation code and reference assets load from MySmartCoPilot on first use. Your inputs, coordinates and custom text stay on this device. Use my location invokes your browser only when pressed; no coordinates are transmitted.
Frequently asked questions
What do I get without a pass?
Without a pass, Meteor Shower Calendar shows the rules, dates and checks that apply to your figures, with every computed amount hidden. Until you unlock it, the result can’t be downloaded or copied. A Pro, Premium or Ultimate pass, a one-time payment that never renews, unlocks the full result. The pricing page lists the passes and their prices.
Why does the peak shift between years?
The calculation follows a specified J2000 solar longitude rather than a fixed calendar date; leap years and orbital timing shift the displayed instant.
Does a high ZHR guarantee many meteors here?
No. The reference describes ideal standardized observing conditions; the local view shows geometry and Moon conditions without inventing a local count.
What if there is no viewing window?
The Sun, radiant altitude or polar conditions can leave no eligible sample within the searched interval. The result says so and retains the global nominal peak.