Meteor shower alpha-Capricornids — observing times and guide
alpha-Capricornids visibility on 2026-09-23
alpha-Capricornids rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| alpha-Capricornids radiant rise | 15:21 | |
Moonrise, 85.8% illuminated  | 16:35 | 18° |
| Sunset | 18:54 | 53° |
| Civil sunset | 19:16 | 58° |
| Twilight start (−12°) | 19:40 | 64° |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 20:04 | 69° |
| alpha-Capricornids radiant transit | 21:20 | 82° |
| alpha-Capricornids radiant set | 03:19 | |
| Moonset | 04:57 | -24° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 05:40 | -35° |
Track alpha-Capricornids position throughout the night
← 23 September 2026 →
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Moon conditions for alpha-Capricornids — 2026
Meteor visibility depends strongly on the Moon’s position and brightness. This chart helps identify darker observing periods.
Blue and white show night and day; red marks when the radiant is above the horizon, the white line its transit, and grey when the Moon is above the horizon. Select a date for detailed Sun and Moon times.
Observing the alpha-Capricornids
Radiant position:
- Right Ascension: 20h 30m 46s"
- Declination: -8° 18' 00s
Peak activity: Active from July 30 to August 11; with peak activity around August 2.
Associated parent body: alpha-Capricornids is produced by debris associated with 169P/NEAT. Earth encounters this stream along its orbit.
alpha-Capricornids — Observation history
Previous activity records show the reported start, peak and end dates. Exact dates may shift slightly from year to year.
| Year | Start date | Peak date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | - | August 1 | - |
| 2002 | - | July 25 | - |
| 1973 | July 26 | July 31 | August 11 |
| 2003 | - | July 31 | - |
| 2008 | July 18 | July 26 | July 30 |
| 2009 | July 16 | July 29 | August 10 |
| 2009 | July 11 | July 27 | August 10 |
| 2015 | July 3 | July 30 | August 10 |
| 2022 | - | July 17 | - |
| 2022 | July 22 | July 27 | July 30 |
| 2022 | July 30 | August 2 | August 11 |
Use these dates as a historical guide and check current predictions near the event.
Data Credits
Meteor data are provided by the International Astronomical Union Meteor Data Center . We thank the observers and researchers who contribute these records.