Tonight, Jakarta Residents Can Witness the Peak of the Alpha Centaurid Meteor Shower

JAKARTA - Astronomy lovers are preparing to witness the peak of the Alpha Centaurid meteor shower which will reach its highest intensity on Sunday, February 8. This sky phenomenon can be enjoyed directly with the naked eye during clear weather and observations are carried out away from light pollution.

The Alpha Centaurid meteor shower has been active since January 28, 2026 and is expected to last until February 21, 2026. The peak of activity occurs at night, a day before the third quarter phase of the Moon, so that the Moon's light is not too bright and the sky is relatively darker to observe the meteor.

From Jakarta, the starting point for the appearance of the meteor is in the Centaurus constellation which begins to rise in the eastern horizon at around 21.54 WIB. Meteor showers can be observed until dawn around 05.32 WIB, with the best observation time just before sunrise.

According to astronomy experts from Starwalk Space, at its peak this meteor shower can produce about 20 to 30 meteors per hour. The meteors move quickly and leave a fairly bright light trail in the night sky.

The Alpha Centaurid radiant point is almost circumpolar for the Southern Hemisphere, so it never really sinks. This condition makes observers in Australia, New Zealand, Africa, and South America able to witness this phenomenon almost all night until dawn. In the southern region, the best time is usually after midnight when the radiant is higher in the sky.

This meteor shower comes from the Centaurus constellation, also known as the location of Alpha Centauri, the star closest to the Sun. The radiant point of the meteor shower is about 4 degrees northwest of the Hadar star or Beta Centauri.

The public can enjoy this phenomenon without aids. However, binoculars or telescopes can be used to help observations if the sky conditions are not ideal.