Astro-Observer

Meteor showers

July Pegasid Meteor Shower

By Astro-Observer · Last reviewed November 8, 2026

Active
July 1 – July 20
Peak
Around July 10
Peak rate (ZHR)
3
Radiant
Pegasus (23h 08m, +11°)
Speed
63 km/s (fast)
Parent comet
C/1979 Y1 (Bradfield)
Best seen from
Northern Hemisphere
Best time
After midnight, best in the hours before dawn

Next peaks

Expected peak (UTC)Moon at peakMoonlight
July 10, 2027, around 20h First quarter, 51% lit Some
July 10, 2028, around 2h Waning gibbous, 89% lit Bright Moon

Computed from the shower's peak solar longitude (λ☉ 108°). 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 Pegasids are a minor shower of fast meteors from near the Great Square of Pegasus. They never produce many: at the peak around July 10, expect one or two an hour from a dark site.

Where the meteors come from

The IAU Meteor Data Center lists Comet C/1979 Y1 (Bradfield) as the parent; the IMO does not name one. Bradfield is a long-period comet that last passed the Sun in December 1979 and takes roughly 300 years per orbit. It travels around the Sun opposite to the planets, so its dust meets Earth almost head-on, at 63 km/s.

When to watch

The shower is listed from July 1 to 20, peaking around July 10; the table above gives the peak and the Moon. Video data suggest weak activity may continue into early August. The radiant rises in the late evening and climbs all night, so the last two hours before dawn are best.

How to find the radiant

Find the Great Square of Pegasus, four similar stars marking a large square, high in the southeast to south before dawn. The radiant lies about 4 degrees south of Markab, the star at the Square's southwest corner (lower right when the Square is in the south). The IMO calls the shower essentially northern; from the south the radiant is lower.

What to expect

With a ZHR of 3 and the radiant 50 to 60 degrees up before dawn, a dark site gives perhaps one or two an hour; the suburbs, maybe none. The meteors are fast. The population index of 3.0 means most are faint, though bright ones have occasionally been recorded.

Viewing tips

  • Plan a session after midnight on the nights around July 10, and stay out at least an hour.
  • Face southeast or south, about halfway up, with Pegasus near the edge of your view.
  • Watch the speed. Slower meteors from low in the south are more likely from the Antihelion source, a broad radiant with a ZHR of two or three in July.
  • Bring a jacket: dew forms quickly on July nights.

History and notable displays

The July Pegasids are a minor shower mainly followed by experienced observers and video networks. They were described in the 1995 edition of the IMO's Meteor Observer Handbook.

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.