The Bootid meteor shower peaks tonight, offering skywatchers in the U.S. a chance to see ancient shooting stars streak across the evening sky. Earth passes through the debris trail left by comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke each June. This causes the Bootid meteor shower.
The radiant, or point from which the meteors seem to come from, is in the constellation Bootes. Bootes can be found high in the western sky in late June. The best time to see the June Bootids in the U.S. is on June 27, just after sunset.
This is when the radiant will be highest in the sky. However, the Bootid shower is variable. It can sometimes put on a strong show.
But it may only produce a few visible meteors per night, even at its peak.
Bootid meteors light up night
To have the best chance of seeing meteors, get away from city lights.
Find a dark sky location. Look about 40 degrees above the radiant, straight overhead. An outstretched fist spans about 10 degrees of sky.
Earlier this week, people saw a bright green fireball flare as it entered the atmosphere. It moved north before burning up due to friction. Events like this remind us that sporadic meteors not tied to a specific shower can also appear.
Astrophotographers have captured stunning photos of meteors crossing the Milky Way in the past. Shawn Hew took a remarkable shot from Malaysia that shows the beauty of these celestial events. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest space news, skywatching events, and rocket launch updates.
If you photograph a shooting star and want to share it, send your photo, comments, name and location to [email protected].
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