Andromedids

Lore & Background

The Andromedids are associated with Biela's Comet, which was observed to have broken up by 1846; further drift of the pieces by 1852 suggested the moment of breakup was in either 1842 or early 1843, when the comet was near Jupiter. The breakup led to particularly spectacular showers in subsequent cycles, especially in 1872 and 1885. In the early 19th century, before the breakup, the radiant was in Cassiopeia; in the last century the radiant of the modern weaker shower was generally in Andromeda, though meteors may appear to come from neighboring constellations such as Pisces (near Upsilon Piscium), Triangulum, and Cassiopeia.

The first known sighting of the Andromedids was December 6, 1741, over St Petersburg, Russia. Further strong showers were witnessed in 1798, 1825, 1830, 1838, and 1847. The 1872 shower, observed by Schmidt from Athens, consisted mainly of faint (5th to 6th magnitude) meteors with 'broad and smoke-like' trains and a predominantly orange or reddish colouration. In England, Lowe estimated at least 58,600 visible meteors between 5.50 and 10.30 pm, noted they were much slower than the Leonids, and heard noises 'like very distant gun-shots' to the north-west. In Burma, the 1885 shower was perceived as a fateful omen and was followed by the collapse of the Konbaung dynasty and conquest by Britain.

The November 27, 1885 shower was the occasion of the first known photograph of a meteor, taken by Austro-Hungarian astronomer Ladislaus Weinek, who caught a 7mm-long trail on a plate at his Prague observing station.

Reader's Guide

The Andromedids hold significance as a meteor shower whose history is intimately tied to the breakup of its parent comet, Biela's Comet, around 1842 or early 1843. This event produced spectacular storms in 1872 and 1885, with thousands of meteors per hour, making them among the most notable showers of the 19th century. The 1885 display also yielded the first known photograph of a meteor, taken by Ladislaus Weinek. Since then, the shower has faded substantially, becoming generally invisible to the naked eye, with recent peak activity less than three meteors per hour in mid-November. However, radar observations have detected occasional outbursts, such as 30 meteors per hour on November 27, 2008, and 50 meteors in an hour on December 4, 2011, the latter likely from the 1649 stream. Scientists postulated a somewhat weaker return in 2018, but a yield of up to 200 meteors an hour in 2023. The shower's legacy includes its role in early meteor photography and its connection to the dramatic disintegration of a comet, offering a case study in how cometary breakup can enhance meteor activity before the stream disperses.

Did You Know?

• The first known photograph of a meteor was taken during the Andromedid shower on November 27, 1885, by Ladislaus Weinek.
• The 1872 Andromedid shower produced an estimated 58,600 visible meteors over a 4.5-hour period in England.
• In Burma, the 1885 Andromedid shower was seen as a fateful omen, followed by the collapse of the Konbaung dynasty.
• The Andromedids' parent comet, Biela's Comet, broke up near Jupiter in either 1842 or early 1843.

The Comet That Shattered

The Andromedids meteor shower traces its origin to Biela's Comet, catalogued as 3D/Biela, whose disintegration set the stage for centuries of meteor activity. By 1846, astronomers had confirmed the comet had broken apart, and by 1852 the observed drift of the fragments pointed to the actual moment of destruction occurring in 1842 or early 1843, while the comet was in the vicinity of Jupiter. That catastrophic event scattered debris across the comet's orbital path, creating the old tail streams that Earth still intersects today. The breakup also transformed the shower's character: before the fragmentation, the radiant sat in the constellation Cassiopeia, but as the debris cloud spread and aged, the apparent origin point migrated toward Andromeda, giving the shower its modern name. Because the streams are ancient and diffuse, individual meteors can seemingly radiate from neighbouring constellations as well, including Pisces near the star Upsilon Piscium, Triangulum, and Cassiopeia. The very act of shattering the comet is what produced the extraordinary outbursts that followed in later decades, most notably in 1872 and 1885.

Spectacular Displays of the 19th Century

The Andromedids have a long record of visible activity stretching back to December 6, 1741, when the first documented sighting occurred over St Petersburg, Russia. Subsequent strong showings were recorded in 1798, 1825, 1830, 1838, and 1847. However, it was the 1872 and 1885 events that truly stunned observers, each producing several thousand meteors per hour as Earth plunged through the comet's densest debris. In Athens, observer Schmidt described the 1872 display as dominated by faint fifth- to sixth-magnitude meteors trailing broad, smoke-like trains with a predominantly orange or reddish hue. In England, Lowe tallied at least 58,600 visible meteors between 5:50 and 10:30 pm, noting they moved considerably slower than Leonids and were accompanied by sounds he likened to very distant gunshots coming from the north-west. The 1885 event carried cultural weight beyond astronomy: in Burma, the shower was interpreted as a fateful omen, and the Konbaung dynasty's collapse and British conquest followed in quick succession.

Capturing Light: The First Meteor Photograph

The November 27, 1885 Andromedid shower holds a place in the history of photographic science that extends far beyond meteor astronomy. During that evening's display, Austro-Hungarian astronomer Ladislaus Weinek, working at his observing station in Prague, managed to capture what is recognized as the first known photograph of a meteor. The image recorded a trail measuring just seven millimetres in length on a photographic plate, a tiny but revolutionary mark that proved a fleeting atmospheric phenomenon could be frozen in time and preserved for study. This achievement came at a moment when the Andromedids were at the height of their post-breakup brilliance, meaning the shower provided an unusually rich field of meteors from which to capture one. The fact that the photograph was taken during a period of extraordinary meteor activity—when thousands of streaks lit the sky each hour—gave Weinek a far greater chance of success than an astronomer working under a quiet, star-filled sky would have enjoyed. The seven-millimetre trail thus stands as both a scientific milestone and a direct product of Biela's Comet's shattered legacy.

A Fading Legacy and Modern Radar Detections

Since the spectacular 19th-century displays, the Andromedids have dimmed dramatically and are no longer reliably visible to the unaided eye. In recent years, peak naked-eye activity has dropped to fewer than three meteors per hour, typically around November 9 to 14. The November activity originates from the youngest debris streams, while the older, more dispersed material produces a fainter signal in early December. Nevertheless, sensitive instruments continue to detect activity. The Canadian Meteor Orbit Radar (CMOR) recorded a spike of 30 meteors per hour on November 27, 2008, and on December 4, 2011, six Canadian radar stations together logged 50 meteors in an hour, likely originating from the 1649 stream. A modest maximum appeared on November 9, 2012, and in December 2013, meteor specialist Peter Brown reported a CMOR-detected outburst around December 6. Looking ahead, scientists anticipated a somewhat weaker return in 2018 but predicted a significantly stronger event in 2023, with a potential yield of up to 200 meteors per hour.