/nowiki>''sic''/nowiki> (formerly Coma Berenicids, International Meteor Organization">IMO designation: COM; International Astronomical Union">IAU
The International Astronomical Union (IAU; , UAI) is an international non-governmental organization (INGO) with the objective of advancing astronomy in all aspects, including promoting astronomical research, outreach, education, and developmen ...
shower number: 20) is a minor meteor shower with a Radiant (meteor shower), radiant in the constellation Coma Berenices. The shower appears from December 12 to December 23 with the estimated maximum around December 16. The radiant at that time is located at α=175°, δ=+18°. The shower's
population index
The population index, or r-value, indicates the magnitude distribution of a meteor shower
A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or originate, from one point in the night sky. These meteors a ...
is 3.0 with the speed of .
The Comae Berenicids were first detected within the framework of
Harvard Radio Meteor Project The Harvard Radio Meteor Project is a scientific investigative station based within Harvard University
Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in ...
. The shower's existence was discovered by Richard Eugene McCrosky and A. Posen in 1959. The Comae Berenicids have an orbit very similar to the December Leo Minorids often leading to confusion between the two meteor showers.