Astro-Observer

Meteor showers

Alpha Capricornid Meteor Shower

By Astro-Observer · Last reviewed November 8, 2026

Active
July 3 – August 15
Peak
Around July 31
Peak rate (ZHR)
5
Radiant
Capricornus (20h 28m, −10°)
Speed
23 km/s (slow)
Parent comet
169P/NEAT
Best seen from
Both hemispheres
Best time
From nightfall until dawn, best around midnight when the radiant is highest

Next peaks

Expected peak (UTC)Moon at peakMoonlight
July 31, 2027, around 19h Waning crescent, 4% lit Little or none
July 31, 2028, around 1h Waxing gibbous, 74% lit Bright Moon

Computed from the shower's peak solar longitude (λ☉ 128°). Real peaks can come a few hours early or late, and you will see meteors on the nights either side. The peak hour may be in daylight where you are; watch the darkest hours of the nearest night.

The Alpha Capricornids never produce many meteors, but they are worth the wait: slow, often bright, and now and then a fireball. The shower peaks at the end of July, alongside the Southern Delta Aquariids and the building Perseids.

Where the meteors come from

The likely parent is Comet 169P/NEAT, a nearly dormant comet about 4.6 km across that orbits the Sun every 4.2 years. Modeling suggests the stream formed 4,500 to 5,000 years ago and holds about as much mass as the comet itself, which points to a major breakup, although a later study argued it could also have built up slowly. Most of that debris still passes inside Earth's orbit, so today's shower comes from its outskirts. Other parents have also been proposed. The grains arrive at a gentle 23 km/s.

When to watch

Activity is long and low, from early July to mid-August, peaking around July 30–31; the table above gives the peak and the Moon. The radiant is up in the southeast at nightfall and highest around local midnight (1 a.m. on summer time), so you can watch until dawn.

How to find the radiant

The radiant lies about 3 degrees northeast of Algedi, at the western tip of the faint triangle of Capricornus. From northern latitudes, start at Altair, a bright star with a fainter one on either side. Go about 20 degrees (two fists) toward the southern horizon, slightly left, to reach Algedi and its neighbor Dabih. From 40°N the radiant gets about 40 degrees up; from the south it passes high overhead.

What to expect

With a ZHR of 5 and the radiant about 40 degrees up, expect two or three an hour from a dark northern site at the peak, and about one from the suburbs. The meteors are slow, and the population index of 2.5 means a good share are bright, including fireballs.

Viewing tips

  • Judge each meteor's speed: a slow one that traces back to Capricornus is likely an Alpha Capricornid.
  • Leave a wide-angle camera running. Slow, bright meteors make good photos.
  • Combine the shower with the Southern Delta Aquariids and early Perseids.
  • Expect gaps of 20 minutes or more between shower meteors.

History and notable displays

The Alpha Capricornids carry number 1 in the IAU list. Minor rate increases have been reported a few times, but the highest observed ZHR, about 10, dates back to 1995. The link to 169P/NEAT comes from work by Jenniskens and Vaubaillon published in 2010.

About the numbers. The ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) is how many meteors one observer would see in an hour under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. Real counts are almost always lower: under suburban skies, or with the radiant low, expect a half to a quarter of it, or less.

Sources

Checked November 8, 2026.