Animal Crossing: New Horizons is finally here and sprinkles a little Disney magic into the game with shooting stars during its meteor showers. These stars do more than just look pretty, however, and will be accompanied by the beloved owl Celeste too. But how do these stars affect your gameplay, and what do they do?
In this guide, we've explained everything you need to know about meteor showers, shooting stars, star fragments and Celeste.
Read More: Animal Crossing New Horizons: What Are Island Ordinances and How to Use Them
Meteor Showers and Shooting Stars, What Do They Do?
During a Meteor Shower, there will be multiple shooting stars for a player to watch out for and wish upon. These have a very random chance of happening, but will always be between the hours of 7PM and 4AM. By talking to your villagers, they will often let you know if a Meteor Shower is to be expected.
After wishing on as many stars as possible during a shower, special meteors will wash up around the island's coast the following morning. These little star shaped, colourful pieces are known as Star Fragments. The more stars that a player wishes on, the more Star Fragments will wash up on their beaches!
Additionally, there are multiple Zodiac Fragments that can be collected, based on the date. They can be collect during the following dates:
- Aries: March 21 - April 19
- Taurus: April 20 - May 20
- Gemini: May 21 - June 20
- Cancer: June 21 - July 22
- Leo: July 23 - August 22
- Virgo: August 23 - September 22
- Libra: September 23 - October 22
- Scorpio: October 23 - November 21
- Sagittarius: November 22 - December 21
- Capricorn: December 22 - January 19
- Aquarius: January 20 - February 18
- Pisces: February 19 - March 20
How to Wish on a Shooting Star
If the sky is clear in the evening and your character isn't holding anything, you can look at the sky with the right analog stick. Whenever you see a star soar across the sky, press A when you spot it to make a wish.
If you miss it, keep an eye out for a little longer – they tend to come in pairs. If you have the time and patience, you can continue to stargaze and ultimately, many shooting stars will tend to appear during each Meteor Shower.
How to Use Star Fragments
More often than not, if a Meteor Shower is going to happen on your island, then Blather's younger sister — Celeste — will visit your island too. Celeste is an avid fan of stargazing and constellations, as fans of the prior games will be aware.
By speaking with Celeste, she will gift you DIY Recipes that your Star Fragments can be used in. She'll only gift you one per visit, so make sure to not miss her when she visits! With these recipes, you can use all of your Star Fragments (including Zodiac Fragments) to craft new and unique items.
Star Fragments are primarily used to make Wands. Wands are a tool that can be used to change your outfits on the go! Other recipes involving Star Fragments include, but are not limited to: Asteroid, Moon, Star Clock, Lunar Rover, Galaxy Flooring, Starry Wall, Taurus Bathtub, Virgo Harp, Libra Scale and many more!
That's all you need to know about Meteor Showers, Star Fragments and Celeste. Good luck collecting all the DIY Recipes and wishing upon as many stars as possible! If you're looking for other fun things to do on your island when Celeste isn't around, we recommend trying to catch a shark or going scavenging for gold nuggets.
This article was updated on 2nd November 2021 by Kelsey Raynor.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Animal Crossing New Horizons and Guides page.