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2025 Is a Year Full of Meteor Showers: A Big One Arrives Next Week

You don’t need to pay for a streaming service to watch a sky full of shooting stars.

2025 includes a full schedule of meteor showers. They come around every year like clockwork and that means planning shooting star trips can be done months in advance. Here’s a look at what’s happening when, and how you can watch.

Tips for watching

To have the best odds of seeing the most meteors during any given shower, the first advice is to get as far away from the big city as logistically possible — and that also applies to suburbanites. Light pollution is the enemy of space viewing and most meteor showers are barely visible in the suburbs, let alone a big city. From there, you’ll want to find the radiant — also known as the point from which the meteor shower appears to originate — and then keep your eyes pointed in that direction. The moon’s light can also be a negative factor, but since meteor showers occur on specific days, it’s up to nature as to whether or not moonlight will affect viewing. 

Lyrids

When: Apr. 15 to Apr. 30
Peak date: Apr. 21 to 22
Maximum meteor rate: 18 meteors per hour
Radiant: Lyra

Things pick up again in April with the Lyrids meteor shower. Its radiant is Lyra, which will rise out of the eastern sky every night during its run. This one is a little bigger than most, having up to 18 meteors per hour. Earth runs through the C/1861 G1 Thatcher comet every April to bring this shower to its citizens. Interestingly, meteors from Lyrids tend to not have trails but can produce some pretty bright fireballs. 

Eta Aquariids

When: Apr. 20 to May 21
Peak date: May 3 to 4
Maximum meteor rate: 50 meteors per hour
Radiant: Aquarius

The 1P/Halley, famously known as Halley’s Comet, is responsible for the Eta Aquariids, and it’s the biggest meteor shower to occur during spring with up to 50 meteors per hour. The only downside is that its radiant, Aquarius, doesn’t rise out of the southeastern sky until around 4 a.m. local time, meaning you’ll have to wake up very early or stay up super late to catch it. On the plus side, the moon will have set by then, meaning the moon won’t obstruct the view for this meteor shower. 

Alpha Capricornids

When: July 12 to Aug. 12
Peak date: July 29 to 30
Maximum meteor rate: 5 meteors per hour
Radiant: Capricornus

Alpha Capricornids is a minor meteor shower that comes from the 169P/NEAT comet. It’s not a strong shower, but it is notable for producing some rather large fireballs. It’s also equally visible in the Southern and Northern Hemispheres. The radiant for this one is Capricornus, which streaks through the south sky and will be visible all night during its peak. Fortunately, the moon won’t be too full, so it won’t obstruct the view too much.

Southern delta Aquariids

When: July 28 to Aug. 12
Peak date: July 29 to 30
Maximum meteor rate: 25 meteors per hour
Radiant: Aquarius

Southern delta Aquariids often overshadows the Alpha Capricornids. This meteor shower peaks early, just a day or two after it officially starts, and then tails off through mid-August. Its early peak puts it on the same day as Alpha Capricornids, so if you see a shooting star on July 29 or 30, it might have come from either one. The radiant for this one is Aquarius, which is right next to Capricornus, making the two showers a fine pairing. Researchers aren’t 100% certain which comet gives us the Southern delta Aquariids, although the best guess right now is 96P/Machholz.

Perseids

When: July 17 to Aug. 23
Peak date: Aug. 12 to 13
Maximum meteor rate: 100 meteors per hour
Radiant: Perseus

Perseids is one of the premier space events that takes place during the summer. It comes from the 109P/Swift-Tuttle comet and is one of the most consistently busy meteor showers of the year. Plus, it takes place over the summer, which is perfect meteor shower weather. The radiant is Perseus, which rises out of the northeastern sky relatively early in the evening and stays up all night. The only downside is that the moon will be almost full during Perseids’ peak in 2025, making it more difficult to see the smaller meteors. 

Southern Taurids

When: Sept. 23 to Nov. 4
Peak date: Oct. 10 to 11
Maximum meteor rate: 5 meteors per hour
Radiant: Taurus

Southern Taurids is one of the longest-lasting meteor showers of the year lasting well over a month. It’s not a particularly active meteor shower, but since it takes place during several other meteor showers, you may spot one of these while looking for another one. The 2P/Encke comet fuels this one and it peaks a couple of weeks away from Halloween. This one is paired with the Northern Taurids to make the Taurids meteor shower. However, they peak on different days so they’re often listed as separate meteor showers. 

Orionids

When: Oct. 2 to Nov. 12
Peak date: Oct. 22 to 23
Maximum meteor rate: 20 meteors per hour
Radiant: Orion

Orionids is a reasonably active meteor shower that happens mostly during October. It also has the distinction of coming from the famous Halley’s Comet just like the Eta Aquariids shower. Unlike Eta Aquariids, the Orionids come out of the Orion constellation, which rises out of the eastern sky in October. Also, the moon will be virtually new, so it’ll have one of the darkest skies of any meteor shower this year. 

Draconids

When: Oct. 6 to Oct. 10
Peak date: Oct. 8
Maximum meteor rate: 10 meteors per hour
Radiant: Draco

Draconids is a minor meteor shower and the shortest one on the list, lasting for all of four days. It hails from the 21/P Giacobini-Zimmer comet and has a fairly decent peak at around 10 meteors per hour. The peak occurs just two days after it starts and then the meteor shower ends two days later. The radiant for Draconids is Draco, which is between the Big Dipper and Little Dipper, making it relatively easy to find in the night sky. 

Northern Taurids

When: Oct. 13 to Dec. 1
Peak date: Nov. 8 to 9
Maximum meteor rate: 5 meteors per hour
Radiant: Taurus

Northern Taurids is the other half of the Taurids meteor shower and this one lasts even longer, going from the middle of October all the way until December. It peaks about halfway through its run on Nov. 8, which is a few weeks later than its southern counterpart. Otherwise, the two are virtually identical. They are both fueled by the 2P/Encke comet and at their best produce around five meteors per hour. For now, researchers believe that this shower comes from a different segment of the Encke comet trail, which is why it’s often listed separately from its southern cousin. 

Leonids

When: Nov. 3 to Dec. 2
Peak date: Nov. 16 to 17
Maximum meteor rate: 15 meteors per hour
Radiant: Leo

Just a few days after the Northern Taurids peaks, the Leonids shower will also peak. Created by the 55P/Tempel-Tuttle comet, Leonids will come from the Leo constellation, which rises in the eastern sky right around 2 a.m. local time for most of its run. This is a bigger meteor shower than the Taurids but a smaller shower than the Orionids. Since all four of them intersect during the first week of November, it may be tough to tell which meteor shower a shooting star comes from. This is especially true since Taurus, Leo, and Orion are all in the eastern sky at this time of year. Leonids often has fast, bright meteors that leave a trail, which may be the only way to differentiate a Leonids meteor from the other three showers. 

Geminids

When: Dec. 4 to Dec. 20
Peak date: Dec. 14 to 15
Maximum meteor rate: 120 meteors per hour
Radiant: Gemini

Geminids is one of the biggest meteor showers of the year, and it peaks less than two weeks away from Christmas. It’s generated by the 3200 Phaethon comet and can show as many as 120 meteors per hour in the right conditions. Geminids is best known for its brighter, slower-moving meteors, making them easier to see in brighter areas like cities or suburbs. It takes place during the cold season, but it can put on quite a show if viewed from outside the big city. 

Ursids

When: Dec. 17 to Dec. 26
Peak date: Dec. 22 to 23
Maximum meteor rate: 10 meteors per hour
Radiant: The Little Dipper

Ursids begins right after the peak of Geminids and continues until the day after Christmas. Since Geminids ends before Christmas, it is statistically likely that if you’ve ever watched a Christmas movie that has a shooting star, it likely came from Ursids. The shower peaks on the evening of Dec. 22 from the Little Dipper, which is readily visible in the night sky for most of the evening. Much like Draconids, it disappears almost as fast as it shows up, lasting only nine days in total. 

Quadrantids

When:: Dec. 12, 2025 to Jan. 12, 2026
Peak date: Jan. 3 to 4, 2026
Maximum meteor rate: 120 meteors per hour
Radiant: The Big Dipper

The year ends the same way it begins with the Quandrantids meteor shower. It starts in early December and wraps around to the New Year. Thus, while it does have the distinction of being the only meteor shower that occurs twice a year, the peak is always in the first few days of January. Otherwise, it’s the same meteor shower as the Quadrantids listed above. So, we’ll use this space to deliver a fun fact. Most meteor showers are fueled by comets, chunks of ice floating through the universe that leave long trails that, as Earth moves through them, create meteors. However, Quadrantids is fueled by 2003 EH, which is an asteroid and not a comet. Researchers believe that 2003 EH is potentially a comet that died out and became an asteroid. 

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for Nov. 22, #425

Here are hints and the answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle for Nov. 22, No. 425.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Connections: Sports Edition is a diverse one today. As a Seattle resident, I got a kick out of the purple category. If you’re struggling with today’s puzzle but still want to solve it, read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is published by The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by The Times. It doesn’t appear in the NYT Games app, but it does in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can play it for free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Gridiron numbers.

Green group hint: The Garden State.

Blue group hint: Guarding against scores.

Purple group hint: DC, or the Evergreen State.

Answers for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Yellow group: Football defensive stats.

Green group: Teams that play in New Jersey

Blue group: US soccer goalkeepers.

Purple group: Washington ____.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections: Sports Edition answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is football defensive stats. The four answers are hurry, interception, sack and tackle.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is teams that play in New Jersey. The four answers are Devils, Giants, Gotham and Red Bulls.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is US soccer goalkeepers. The four answers are Howard, Naeher, Scurry and Solo.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is Washington ____. The four answers are Capitals, Huskies, Nationals and Spirit.

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Technologies

The iPhone 17 Pro’s Cameras Take the Fight to the OnePlus 15, and There Are Bruises

Camera showdown: The OnePlus 15’s camera should have surprised me, but it really didn’t. Meanwhile, Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro keeps on delivering in terms of photography.

The OnePlus 15 impressed my excellent colleague, David Lumb, with its superb battery life and excellent performance, especially for gaming. I wasn’t as thrilled with the cameras in my early testing, but the proof of its photography prowess comes down to how it stacks up against the competition. In this case, the iPhone 17 Pro is one of our favorite phone cameras and indeed one of the best camera phones you can buy in 2025. 

For years, OnePlus has partnered with the iconic Swedish camera maker Hasselblad to work on color science and image calibration for OnePlus phones. But that partnership has ended, which puts a lot of pressure on the Chinese company to impress with its camera suite on the OnePlus 15. Throughout all these changes, Apple released the iPhone 17 Pro, which has a brand-new 48-megapixel 4x telephoto camera and carries forward the company’s reputation for excellent photography.

I headed out to the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland, to test both phone cameras in a variety of situations. It’s important to note, though, that what I consider «better» might not be what you agree with. Photography, like all art, is subjective. While, as aprofessional photographer, I prefer more natural, true-to-life tones, you may prefer imagery with more pop and colors. Take my thoughts with a grain of salt. 

Note, too, that all images were taken with each phone’s standard camera mode in JPEG format, and all images have been resized using Adobe Lightroom, with no additional edits or sharpening applied. Small print done with, let’s dive in.

Straight off the bat, I’ll admit a small mistake in the photos above. I took this shot using one of the iPhone’s Photographic Styles. I think it was Gold, and so it’s no surprise that it’s given the image a more vibrant, warmer look that suits the scene incredibly well. I only had the style active for this example and the ultrawide version below. 

However, I noticed that the iPhone’s exposure is broadly better, while the OnePlus’ software processing had worked so hard in reducing image noise that a lot of the texture in the floor had been lost. 

Switch to the ultrawide lenses, and things do change a bit. The iPhone’s exposure above looks preferable to my eye, but the OnePlus’ shot definitely has more detail overall.

This example above is quite classic of the problems I have not just with the OnePlus 15, but also with most of OnePlus’ phones. The image is quite heavily saturated, with an electric-blue sky and vivid greens that look unnatural to me. The iPhone’s image has a much better handle on color here.

My other problem with OnePlus’ phones is how hard they go with their HDR processing, brightening up shadows and pulling back highlights, resulting in images that quite often lack depth and believable contrast. The image above is a prime example where the deep shadows under this bridge have been maintained in the iPhone’s shot, but where the OnePlus 15 has tried to lighten them so much that the image looks very overprocessed.

And to prove it’s not a one-off, this example above is a real low point for the OnePlus. It really tried to eliminate any kind of shadows in this scene, while pulling back the highlights in the sky outside far too much. The image looks fake, overprocessed and exactly what people would think of if you told them a photo was taken on a phone. By taking a far more subtle approach, the iPhone’s image is much more to my liking. 

The OnePlus hasn’t gone as hard with its vendetta against shadows in the image above, but it does look like it’s ramped that saturation way up. It’s not that I don’t like vibrant colors — I do — it’s just that I want to add in that saturation should I want to, rather than having it forced on me by default. 

The images above show a more muted scene and a good effort from both phones. Although taken just nine seconds apart (I checked the metadata), I do think the sun may have slightly peeked out from behind a cloud a little more in the iPhone’s shot, as the front of the building does look quite a lot brighter. Or maybe the OnePlus is going hard on the HDR again. Who knows? Either way, good details on this image from both phones. 

The same scene in ultrawide does arguably look a little muted from the iPhone, at least when compared with the bold blue of the OnePlus’ shot above. Somewhere between the two would be my sweet spot. After I zoomed in on the details, the iPhone’s shot is certainly clearer, but at full screen — or on your Insta feed — that difference is negligible. 

That brightness and color difference persists when taking each phone to its maximum default telephoto zoom, so maybe it doesn’t have anything to do with the sun and clouds after all. Colors aside, the iPhone’s shot above is also clearer, and its details look sharp without being overly digitally sharpened. The OnePlus’ image does have something of a «crunchiness» to it from its software processing that I don’t like as much. 

Peeping close up at the pixels on each phone’s telephoto zoom shot, I definitely think the OnePlus has gone too hard with its sharpening in the image above of a person in a window.

I’m slightly more torn on this nighttime scene. The OnePlus shot above has yet again gone big on the saturation. Look at the overcooked green on the grass — it looks like it was taken at midday in the spring. The iPhone’s colors look way more natural. However, the OnePlus’ sharpening works in favor at night, delivering a shot with crisper details throughout.

And in ultrawide, I flat out prefer the OnePlus image above. Those vibrant tones look much better here, especially as they make the oranges of the building in the background stand out more.

And if we peep at those pixels again, it’s clear that the details on the OnePlus’ shot (left) are far better. Finally, a win for the OnePlus. 

This final indoor low-light scene is a bit more of a mixed bag. The OnePlus’ image above is unquestionably brighter — especially the people nearest the camera — but its noise reduction has gone a bit too hard in some areas, reducing textures on clothing and hair that the iPhone hasn’t done. Overall, though, I’d say this example is a close fight. 

iPhone 17 Pro vs. OnePlus 15: Which camera is better?

For me, it’s an easy victory for the iPhone 17 Pro. Almost across the board, its images are more natural looking with realistic colors, saturation levels and exposure. The OnePlus 15’s reliance on heavy-handed image processing has resulted in often garish-looking photos that are almost the opposite of what I look for in my photography. However, as I said at the beginning, that’s just my opinion. 

As a photographer, I want my camera — any camera — to be able to capture the best-looking image straight out of the camera that I can then apply more edits to if I want to. But maybe you don’t want to do that and instead want a vibrant, punchy-looking shot that you can immediately share to social media. If so, maybe the OnePlus will be fine for you. 

At the end of the day, deciding which phone to buy will come down to more than just the camera, so make sure to read CNET’s in-depth reviews of all of 2025’s best phones to decide which is the one for you.

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Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 22, #895

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 22, #895.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a fun mix of categories. If you know your unusual foods, you should get the blue group easily enough. If you need help sorting the answers into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Not a lot.

Green group hint: Like Popeye.

Blue group hint: Yum!

Purple group hint: Let’s Make a ____.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Little bit.

Green group: Sailor.

Blue group: Tropical fruits/vegetables.

Purple group: ____ deal.

Read more: Wordle Cheat Sheet: Here Are the Most Popular Letters Used in English Words

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is little bit. The four answers are dab, drop, splash and touch.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is sailor. The four answers are salty dog, skipper, swab and tar.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is tropical fruits/vegetables. The four answers are bitter melon, chayote, durian and soursop.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____ deal. The four answers are big, plea, raw and sweetheart.

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