Meteor Showers 2026–2027
Peak dates for the major showers, how many meteors to expect, and whether the Moon will wash them out.
Next shower peak
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Meteor showers 2026
| Shower | Peak (UTC) | Active | ZHR | Moon at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Jan 3 12:48 PM | Dec 28 – Jan 12 | 80+ | Bright moon 100% |
| April Lyrids | Apr 22 10:41 AM | Apr 14 – Apr 30 | 18 | Some moonlight 32% |
| η-Aquariids | May 6 12:13 AM | Apr 19 – May 28 | 50 | Bright moon 84% |
| Southern δ-Aquariids | Jul 31 4:12 AM | Jul 12 – Aug 23 | 25 | Bright moon 98% |
| α-Capricornids | Jul 31 4:12 AM | Jul 03 – Aug 15 | 5 | Bright moon 98% |
| Perseids | Aug 12 4:48 PM | Jul 17 – Aug 24 | 110+ | Dark sky 0% |
| Draconids | Oct 8 4:13 PM | Oct 06 – Oct 10 | variable | Dark sky 4% |
| Orionids | Oct 21 9:23 AM | Oct 02 – Nov 07 | 20 | Bright moon 75% |
| Southern Taurids | Nov 5 10:01 AM | Sep 20 – Nov 20 | 7 | Dark sky 15% |
| Northern Taurids | Nov 12 9:17 AM | Oct 20 – Dec 10 | 5 | Dark sky 9% |
| Leonids | Nov 17 2:52 PM | Nov 06 – Nov 30 | 15+ | Some moonlight 51% |
| Geminids | Dec 14 4:53 AM | Dec 04 – Dec 20 | 150 | Dark sky 22% |
| Ursids | Dec 22 1:20 PM | Dec 17 – Dec 26 | 10 | Bright moon 96% |
Meteor showers 2027
| Shower | Peak (UTC) | Active | ZHR | Moon at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Jan 3 6:37 PM | Dec 28 – Jan 12 | 80+ | Dark sky 14% |
| April Lyrids | Apr 22 4:22 PM | Apr 14 – Apr 30 | 18 | Bright moon 96% |
| η-Aquariids | May 6 5:48 AM | Apr 19 – May 28 | 50 | Dark sky 0% |
| Southern δ-Aquariids | Jul 31 10:00 AM | Jul 12 – Aug 23 | 25 | Dark sky 6% |
| α-Capricornids | Jul 31 10:00 AM | Jul 03 – Aug 15 | 5 | Dark sky 6% |
| Perseids | Aug 12 10:34 PM | Jul 17 – Aug 24 | 110+ | Bright moon 84% |
| Draconids | Oct 8 10:00 PM | Oct 06 – Oct 10 | variable | Bright moon 63% |
| Orionids | Oct 21 3:18 PM | Oct 02 – Nov 07 | 20 | Bright moon 62% |
| Southern Taurids | Nov 5 3:47 PM | Sep 20 – Nov 20 | 7 | Some moonlight 44% |
| Northern Taurids | Nov 12 3:08 PM | Oct 20 – Dec 10 | 5 | Bright moon 97% |
| Leonids | Nov 17 8:46 PM | Nov 06 – Nov 30 | 15+ | Bright moon 83% |
| Geminids | Dec 14 10:44 AM | Dec 04 – Dec 20 | 150 | Bright moon 99% |
| Ursids | Dec 22 7:12 PM | Dec 17 – Dec 26 | 10 | Some moonlight 25% |
Meteor showers 2028
| Shower | Peak (UTC) | Active | ZHR | Moon at peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Jan 4 12:21 AM | Dec 28 – Jan 12 | 80+ | Some moonlight 40% |
| April Lyrids | Apr 21 10:12 PM | Apr 14 – Apr 30 | 18 | Dark sky 8% |
| η-Aquariids | May 5 11:36 AM | Apr 19 – May 28 | 50 | Bright moon 85% |
| Southern δ-Aquariids | Jul 30 3:48 PM | Jul 12 – Aug 23 | 25 | Bright moon 71% |
| α-Capricornids | Jul 30 3:48 PM | Jul 03 – Aug 15 | 5 | Bright moon 71% |
| Perseids | Aug 12 4:31 AM | Jul 17 – Aug 24 | 110+ | Bright moon 63% |
| Draconids | Oct 8 3:52 AM | Oct 06 – Oct 10 | variable | Bright moon 82% |
| Orionids | Oct 20 9:00 PM | Oct 02 – Nov 07 | 20 | Dark sky 11% |
| Southern Taurids | Nov 4 9:35 PM | Sep 20 – Nov 20 | 7 | Bright moon 94% |
| Northern Taurids | Nov 11 8:54 PM | Oct 20 – Dec 10 | 5 | Some moonlight 28% |
| Leonids | Nov 17 2:28 AM | Nov 06 – Nov 30 | 15+ | Dark sky 1% |
| Geminids | Dec 13 4:27 PM | Dec 04 – Dec 20 | 150 | Dark sky 7% |
| Ursids | Dec 22 12:50 AM | Dec 17 – Dec 26 | 10 | Some moonlight 33% |
Peak times are the moment the Sun reaches the shower’s peak solar longitude in the International Meteor Organization’s 2027 Meteor Shower Calendar (Table 5), computed for each year; real peaks can fall a few hours either side. ZHR values are the IMO’s. Moon illumination is computed for the peak instant.
How to see more meteors
Get away from city lights, give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adapt, and lie back looking about halfway up the sky rather than straight at the radiant: meteors near the radiant have short trails. The nights either side of a peak are often nearly as good. This year the Geminids peak around December 14 with the Moon 22% lit.
Check tonight’s darkness on the twilight table (astronomical dusk is when the sky is fully dark) and the moonrise time, or let the night sky planner pull it together.
Meteor shower questions
What are the best meteor showers of the year?
The Quadrantids (early January), Perseids (mid-August) and Geminids (mid-December) are the three strongest reliable showers, each capable of more than 80 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies.
What is ZHR?
Zenithal Hourly Rate: the number of meteors one observer would see in an hour with the radiant overhead under a perfectly dark sky. Real counts are almost always lower, often by half or more, because of light pollution, moonlight and a lower radiant.
When is the best time of night to watch?
For most showers, after midnight and before dawn, when your side of Earth faces forward into the debris stream and the radiant is high. The Geminids are an exception and are active from mid-evening.
How good are the 2026 Perseids?
The Perseids peak around August 12, 2026, the night of a new moon (0% lit), so skies are as dark as they get. The IMO notes that recent Perseid returns have been weaker than the long-term average.