Meteor Mania

Meteor Mania 1000

Meteor Mania Awards

Version No. 1.7
Date last revised: August 14, 2026

� 2026 Iron Butt Association, Sheridan, Wyoming
Please respect our intellectual property rights. Do not distribute this document or portions therein without the written permission of the Iron Butt Association.

Background

The Earth is constantly bombarded by intense Meteor Showers, with about 8 major events in North America per year. The events are listed below, the listed dates of the ride, are for the anticipated peak activity.

To try to give the rider the best possible chance of seeing the showers at the peak of activity, these rides are only available for the two days per event, listed below. You will need at least one DBR on any date listed.

It is recommended that the rider be stopped and finds a dark location for best chance of seeing activity.

Dates of Major Meteor Showers (Dates listed are for peak activity):

Orionids: October 21-22, 2026 - Named for Orion, Linked to Halley's Comet in 1911. Fast medium brightness; many leave trains.

Leonids: November 16-17, 2026 - Named for Leo. Major storms every 33 years, Very fast, bright; long trains & fireballs during outbursts. Historic storm producer. Next storm 2033/34 - a must see.

Geminids: December 13-14, 2026 - Names for Gemini. Unusual asteroid parent. Strongest annual shower. Bright often colorful (white, yellow, green, orange); frequent fireballs; relatively slow.

Quadrantids: January 3-4, 2027 - Named after the obsolete constellation Quadrans Muralis. Recognized as annual in the 1830s. Bright meteors, some trains; peak lasts only a few hours. Asteroid origin that may be an extinct comet.

Lyrids: April 22-23, 2027 - Named for Lyra. One of the oldest recorded showers (~2,700 years). Medium to fast white meteors; occasional bright ones and showers.

Eta Aquariids: May 5-6, 2027 - Named for Eta Aquarii. Sister shower to the Orionids (both from Halley's Comet). Fast meteors with long glowing trains; often yellowish

Southern delta Aquariids: July 28-29, 2027 - Named for Delta Aquarii. Part of the Machholz complex. Generally fainter, fewer fireballs. Broad activity.

Perseids: August 12-13, 2027 - Named for Perseus. First linked to a comet in the 1860s. Records ~2,000 years old. Fast bright; many long persistent trains; frequent fireballs.

There are roughly 100–110 established meteor showers, but only a modest number produce enough activity to be practically noticeable from North America in a typical year. Most are weak (ZHR under 5) and blend into the sporadic background for casual observers.

ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Rate) is the theoretical number of meteors a single observer would see per hour under ideal conditions: radiant straight overhead, clear dark skies, no moonlight, and limiting magnitude ~6.5. Real observed rates are almost always lower due to radiant altitude, light pollution, moon, weather, and observer experience.

Ranked by Typical Peak ZHR (Visible from North America)

Sources primarily follow the American Meteor Society (AMS) 2026 list and International Meteor Organization (IMO) values, which are the standard visual references. Rates can vary year to year; some showers are short-peaked or better from southern latitudes.

Rank	Shower	Typical Peak ZHR	Peak Timing (approx.)	Notes for North America
1	Geminids	120–150	Mid-December	Strongest & most reliable overall; rich in bright meteors; good even under moderate moonlight. Excellent from all of NA.
2	Quadrantids	100–120	Early January	Very high rates but brief peak (often only a few hours); high northern radiant favors northern NA; cold weather challenge.
3	Perseids	~100	Mid-August	Most popular; warm nights, many bright meteors & persistent trains; excellent from mid-to-northern latitudes.
4	Eta Aquariids	50–60	Early May	Stronger farther south in NA; swift meteors with trains; radiant rises before dawn.
5	Southern δ-Aquariids	20–25	Late July	Steady activity; better from southern U.S.; often overlaps with Perseids.
6	Orionids	20–25	Late October	Fast meteors from Halley’s Comet; good after midnight.
7	Lyrids	15–18	Mid-to-late April	Reliable moderate shower; occasional brighter meteors.
8	Leonids	10–15	Mid-November	Variable; can produce outbursts in some years; very fast meteors.

Definitions

This is a series of Meteor Shower 1000 SaddleSores, with special graphic certificates awarded for each named period of Meteor Showers.

Read the rules for the iconic SaddleSore 1000 on the Iron Butt Association site. The rules for this ride are similar, and you will get valuable background information.

DBR - Dated Business Receipt
A DBR is a machine-generated receipt with the date, time and LOCATION on it. Check it - do not assume it is correct. A receipt with an incorrect time/date/location is worthless. Check and re-check.

Fees
See fee page

Rules

We understand weather conditions may play a role & cloud cover may stop any viewing. Regardless, if the ride rules are adhered to, the necessary meteor certificate will be issued.

You must ride 1,000 miles and complete the ride within 24 hours.
You may start and end anywhere and take any route you choose.

Your official time is determined by the starting and ending receipts. PLEASE check these documents and make sure the clock and date are correct!

Spotwalla.com is required.

Meteor Shower Fever Award
You must complete eight different qualifying Meteor Shower rides, one for each of the eight named major showers. These rides do not need to occur as consecutive events; they may span multiple years and may be completed in any calendar order. There will be a special award certificate issued.

Meteor Shower Insanity Award
You must complete each qualifying Meteor Shower ride in consecutive order. These rides may fall within a single calendar year or span two adjacent years, but they must form one unbroken eight ride sequence. You may start with any listed event.

Upon verification of the Meteor Shower Insanity Award, all of your eligible standard SaddleSore rides, completed as part of this series, will be upgraded to GOLD SaddleSores, elevating your Mile Eater standings. This upgrade reflects the added difficulty of completing a fixed, date‑specific series under the Insanity rules. There will also be a special award certificate issued.

Merchandise:

There is no additional merchandise for this ride.