The June Bootids meteor shower is active through Thursday, July 2, and is expected to peak overnight Friday, June 26, into Saturday, June 27.
The shower is usually quiet, producing only a few meteors per hour.
But it has earned a reputation for surprises.
Space.com reported that the June Bootids produced an outburst of up to 100 meteors per hour in 1998. Another burst in 2004 produced about 20 to 50 meteors per hour.
A predicted outburst in 2010 did not happen, adding to the shower’s unpredictable reputation.
ABC News reported that the June Bootids are associated with Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke. Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through debris left behind by comets or asteroids.
The June Bootids are known for slow-moving meteors.
They travel at about 18 kilometers per second, or roughly 40,000 mph. That is slow by meteor standards, and it can make their streaks easier to distinguish from other shooting stars.
The radiant, or the point in the sky where the meteors appear to come from, is in the constellation Boötes.
Viewers do not need to stare directly at the radiant. Space.com recommends finding a dark location away from city lights, choosing a spot with a wide view of the sky, and letting your eyes adjust for at least 20 minutes.
No telescope or binoculars are needed.
The Northern Hemisphere has the better viewing setup because Boötes sits high in the evening sky.
The best viewing window is after twilight and into the early morning hours, though visibility will depend on local cloud cover and light pollution.
For skywatchers, the appeal is simple: The June Bootids may bring only a quiet trickle, or they may suddenly do something far more memorable.
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