June Bootids Brace Skywatchers for Possible Surprises Next Week
Space.com reports the June Bootids—the notoriously unpredictable meteor shower tied to debris from comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke—are set to peak between June 20–27. While typically modest, past outbursts have ranged up to 100 meteors per hour (1998) and 20–50/hour (2004), underscoring the shower’s unpredictability. For best viewing, head to a dark site away from city lights, let your eyes adjust for about 20 minutes, and scan a broad area of the sky as the radiant in Boötes rises; don’t stare directly at the radiant. The shower runs late June with peak timing and rates that can be hard to forecast.