GoKawiilThere are still tons of mysteries in the universe, and the Bootids meteor shower is one of them. The upcoming meteor shower occurs during the last week of June and the first few days of July, and it has the potential to be one of the weakest or strongest meteor showers of the year. How's that for noncommital?
The Bootids meteor shower officially runs from June 22 to July 2, with a peak on the evening of June 26 and the morning of June 27. Its 10-day run is among the shortest of any named meteor showers.
Bootids is also the single most unpredictable meteor shower of the year in terms of how many visible meteors it can produce. It's not terribly active during most years and produces approximately one or two meteors per hour during its peak. However, Bootids is known for having random outbursts, during which it produces as many meteors as the bigger meteor showers.
The most recent such occurrence was in 2004, and other big years include 1998, 1927, 1921 and 1916. The 1998 Bootids meteor shower is legendary, with reports of 100 meteors per hour. That's as many as Perseids, which is arguably the most famous meteor shower of the year, and right up there with other active showers like Geminids and Quadrantids.
Since science hasn't yet figured out how to reliably predict these outbursts, any year could be the next big one.
The Boötes constellation will be high in the southern sky right after sunset June 26. Stellarium
How to see Bootids
All meteor showers take their name from the constellation where they appear to originate, a point known as the radiant. For Bootids, that's the Boötes constellation.
Boötes sits high in the southern sky and will be immediately visible after sunset on June 26. It's visible all night, dipping into the western sky overnight before nestling against the western horizon before sunrise. If you're having trouble finding it, a night sky map like Stellarium or Time and Date can help you find it.
Follow standard tips for seeing any meteor shower. You want to get away from the city and suburbs to reduce noise pollution. (June's moon will be about 90% full on June 26, which means you can't escape all of the light pollution.)
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