The June Bootid meteor shower is visible every year in late June, when Earth encounters debris of ice and dust left behind by Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke. The shower favors observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
June Bootid meteor shower in 2026
Activity period: The June Bootid meteor shower will be active from June 11 to July 2 and will peak on June 21, 2026.
When to see: As seen from mid-northern latitudes, the June Bootid meteor shower will be best visible during the evening hours of June 21, 2026, as its radiant—the point from which the meteors appear to radiate—reaches directly overhead when darkness falls. Thereafter, its altitude gradually decreases until it sets in the morning.
Moon phase during peak activity: In 2026, during the peak evening, a first quarter moon will be visible in the sky. It will set around midnight. As a result, moonlight will interfere with the June Bootid meteor shower. You can observe the shower in the following ways:
- Observe the shower from a location in the moon’s shadow.
- Find a distant object to block the moon.
- Observe the shower after the moon sets around midnight.
Expected meteors during peak activity: The June Bootids are a variable shower, producing just a few meteors per hour during peak activity under ideal conditions in normal years. However, every now and then there is an outburst of activity, which can last from perhaps 30 minutes to several hours. This possibility keeps many skywatchers outside during the active period of this shower.
Radiant: The radiant of the June Bootid meteor shower lies in the constellation Bootes, the Herdsman. It is located near the star Alkaid at the end of the handle of the Big Dipper and not far from the bright star Arcturus.
However, you don’t need to identify the radiant in order to observe the shower. The June Bootid meteor shower will be visible across the sky during the evening hours, when the radiant is high in the sky.
View from the Southern Hemisphere: As seen from mid-southern latitudes, the June Bootid radiant climbs low above the northern horizon only during the evening hours. As a result, the chances of spotting any meteors are significantly reduced.
Meteor velocity: June Bootid meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere at about 14 km/s (50,400 km/h). As a result, they appear slow-moving compared to other meteor showers.
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