Kappa Cygnids Meteor Shower
By : John Whitworth / Updated : Jul 16th, 2026 23:49
Contents
Kappa Cygnids Information
The Kappa Cygnidsmeteor shower are a minor one that that occur at about the same time as the Perseids which are more frequent and brighter.
The name of the shower comes from the fact that the radiant point is close to Kappa Cygni The star is within the boundaries of the constellation but is not part of the actual constellation.
The source of the meteors is believed to be 2008 ED69 asteroid. The source is from a PDF which will download when you click on the link. Caltech
How to find the Kappa Cygnids Meteor Shower
Northern Hemisphere
The majority of Cygnus the swan is visible the whole of year in the Northern Hemisphere. The further south you go, the less you are going to see it. Kappa Cygni is part of the Cygnus that is always visible. The meteor shower should be visible as soon as it gets dark, there's no need to wait.
Although the meteor shower is named after a star in Cygnus, the meteorites are more likely to be seen in the Draco constellation boundary. The radiant point is in the middle of a line between HIP 91606 and Iota Cygni.
The best time to view the meteor shower is after 10 o'clock when it is dark. It will be harder to see earlier due to the light from the Sun as it sets. You need to look up in a northerly direction. It should be a little higher above Ursa Minor constellation which contains the Pole Star.
Southern Hemisphere
The more south you are, the more unlikely you are going to be able to see the Kappa-Cygnids. If you are in Quito, Ecuador, you should be able to see the meteor shower from when it gets dark to about 2 a.m. but any further south, you chances are limited.
The Solar Longitude (Abbrev: S.L., λ ☉) is 141 degrees, this value is the the date of maximum activity. It is measured as a degree with zero degree indicating spring equinox (roughly March 21st/22nd). 90 is the Summer Solstice, 180 is the Autumn Equinox and 270 is the Winter Solstice. This degree is independent of the calendar. AMS.
Kappa Cygnids Zenith Hourly Rate
The Zenith Hourly Rate or how many you expect to see during the hour is 3. The ZHR can radically increase if the comet or associated object is close by. The speed/velocity of the Kappa Cygnids Meteor Shower particles is 21 km/s.
The population index of the Kappa Cygnids meteor shower is 3. The population index refers to the magnitude distribution of the meteorites, the smaller the index, the brighter the meteors are, the higher, the dimmer the meteors are. For this particular meteor shower, bright meteors are more frequent.
