Astro-Observer

Meteor showers

July Gamma Draconid Meteor Shower

By Astro-Observer · Last reviewed November 8, 2026

Active
July 25 – July 31
Peak
Around July 28
Peak rate (ZHR)
5 (about 50 during the brief 2016 outburst)
Radiant
Draco (18h 40m, +51°)
Speed
27 km/s (slow)
Parent comet
C/1919 Q2 (Metcalf)
Best seen from
Northern Hemisphere
Best time
Late evening to the small hours, while the radiant is high

Next peaks

Expected peak (UTC)Moon at peakMoonlight
July 28, 2027, around 19h Possibly stronger Waning crescent, 28% lit Little or none
July 28, 2028, around 1h Waxing crescent, 43% lit Some

The peak is sharp and varies from year to year, so keep an eye on the date even in ordinary years.

Computed from the shower's peak solar longitude (λ☉ 125.13°). 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 July Gamma Draconids are a small shower with one claim to fame: a sudden outburst at the end of July that lasted only an hour or two. In a normal year they add a few slow meteors an hour to the late-July sky, from a radiant high overhead near Vega.

Where the meteors come from

The IAU Meteor Data Center links the shower to Comet C/1919 Q2 (Metcalf), a long-period comet seen in 1919; the IMO does not name a parent. The meteoroids meet Earth at 27 km/s, so the meteors look slow.

When to watch

Activity is short, July 25 to 31, with the peak around July 28; the table above gives the time and the Moon. Video records show a sharp peak every year whose strength varies, so the peak night matters. From mid-northern latitudes the radiant is up all night, passing nearly overhead in the late evening, the best time to watch.

How to find the radiant

Start at Vega, the brightest star overhead on late-July evenings. The radiant is about 12 degrees due north of it, a little more than a fist at arm's length. Just to the west lies the four-star head of Draco, whose brightest star, Eltanin (Gamma Draconis), gives the shower its name. From southern mid-latitudes the radiant barely rises.

What to expect

With a ZHR of 5 and the radiant near the zenith, a dark site gives perhaps two to four an hour on the peak night; suburban skies, one or two. Away from the peak, rates are close to zero. The meteors are slow, and the population index of 3.0 means most are faint.

Viewing tips

  • Watch on the peak night itself.
  • Lie back and look straight up or a little north.
  • Slow meteors from overhead are candidates; Perseids are fast and come from the northeast.
  • If several slow meteors arrive from Draco within minutes, note the times in UT and report them to the IMO.

History and notable displays

On the night of July 27/28, 2016, a short, strong outburst peaked near 00h UT. The Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar measured a ZHR of about 50, and video cameras in Europe confirmed it; it lasted one to two hours. No extra activity was seen in 2017–2025.

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.