Some meteor showers give a more-or-less reliable performance the same time each year, but others have an occasional year with (sometimes substantial) activity punctuating many years with little or no activity. The June Boötids, which may or may not be visible this weekend, is one such shower. The expected worldwide peak this year is Saturday, June 27 around 5 p.m. CDT. Though the radiant is above the horizon all night, the best two hours to watch will be from around 1:00 to 3:00 a.m. Sunday morning. (Moonset is at 1:11 a.m. and morning twilight begins at 3:06 a.m. at Dodgeville, CDT.)
One hallmark of the June Boötids is that they are unusually slow meteors, so they’re easy to identify if you see one. Look for the meteors to emanate from a region of the sky a few degrees north of the top of the “kite” of Boötes. Enjoy the process, even if you don’t see any meteors. The weather is pleasant at night this time of year, so get out there and observe!