There are a few opportunities this year to gaze toward the sky and just take it all in.
Below, you'll find dates of some meteor showers visible during 2019 in the Northern Hemisphere. The moon cycle is included, but it's best to check here for cloud conditions.
Meteor showers are streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth's atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. They're best observed after midnight with a new moon. On nights where the moon is bright (full), they can be difficult to see.
Here's your 2019 meteor shower calendar.
The Perseids, Aug. 12-13, 2019
On these nights, the moon will be 94.20 percent full. The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower as they peak on warm August nights. They are active from July 17 to Aug. 24. Normal rates seen from rural locations range from 50-75 shower members per hour.
The Southern Taurids, Oct. 9-10, 2019
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The moon will be 86.85 percent full. This one may be hard to see though. The shower is active for more than two months but rarely produces more than five shower members per hour.
The Orionids, Oct. 21-22, 2019
On this night, the moon will be 44.66 percent full. The Orionids are a medium strength shower. In a normal year the Orionids produce 10-20 shower members.
The Northern Taurids, Nov. 11-12, 2019
The moon will be 99.65 percent full.
The Geminids, Dec. 13-14, 2019.
The moon will be 96.31 percent full. The Geminids are usually the strongest meteor shower of the year. This is the one major shower that provides good activity prior to midnight as the constellation of Gemini is well placed from 22:00 onward. The Geminids are often bright and intensely colored.
The Ursids, Dec. 21-22, 2019.
The moon will be 20.29 percent full. The Ursids are often neglected due to the fact it peaks just before Christmas and the rates are much less than the Geminds.
