Attention stargazers! The notoriously unpredictable June Bootid meteor shower will peak next week, and anything could happen.
Although most annual meteor showers Following a fairly predictable script, the June Bootids have a habit of surprising astronomers. Most years, the shower produces only a few meteors per hour. From time to time, however, it breaks out into an unexpected manifestation.
In 1998, sky watchers witnessed an explosion of up to 100 meteors per hour, while another explosion in 2004 produced between 20 and 50 meteors per hour, according to the Royal Museums Greenwich. However, rain remains notoriously difficult to predict. In 2010, astronomers predicted another explosion, but fewer than 10 meteors per hour were reported.
What Causes Bootids?
The June Bootids occur when Earth passes through debris left by comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke, which orbits the sun approximately every six years. As fragments of this icy wanderer trail enter Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up and create brilliant rays of light that we call meteors or shooting stars.
When is it?
The rain is active until the end of June, with the peak of the rain forecast between June 20 and 27, according to the American Meteor Society.
How can I see it?
Most years, the June Bootids put on a very modest show with only one or two meteors per hour. However, they have earned a reputation for being unexpected, which is why many skywatchers keep an eye on them despite their modest rates. You never really know what the June Bootids have in store.
Camera selection: Nikon Z8
If you’re looking for a great camera for photographing meteors, we recommend the Sony A7R IV, which we named the best mirrorless camera in our guide to the best cameras for astrophotography.
For your best chance of spotting a June Bootid, go somewhere dark, away from city lights, if you can. The shower’s radiant, the point from which the meteors appear to originate, is in the constellation Boötes, which is high in the western and southwestern sky at night for observers in the northern hemisphere.
While the radiant can help you identify June Bootids, you don’t want to look at it directly. Instead, find a comfortable spot with a wide view of the sky and let your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least 20 minutes. Meteors are usually easier to spot when scanning a wide area of the sky.
