Meteor showers 2026 and 2027
Every major meteor shower with its peak date and time, how many meteors to expect, and how much the Moon will get in the way.
Next shower
Geminids peak December 14, 2026.
2026 meteor showers
| Shower | Peak (UTC) | Peak, your time | Rate/hour | Moon at peak | Radiant | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Jan 3, 21:21 UTC | — | 80 | 100% · Poor | Boötes | Dec 28 – Jan 12 |
| Lyrids | Apr 22, 19:37 UTC | — | 18 | 36% · Good | Lyra | Apr 14 – Apr 30 |
| Eta Aquariids | May 6, 09:12 UTC | — | 50 | 81% · Poor | Aquarius | Apr 19 – May 28 |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | Jul 30, 12:12 UTC | — | 25 | 99% · Poor | Aquarius | Jul 12 – Aug 23 |
| Perseids | Aug 13, 01:52 UTC | — | 100 | 0% · Excellent | Perseus | Jul 17 – Aug 24 |
| Draconids | Oct 9, 01:02 UTC | — | 10 | 3% · Excellent | Draco | Oct 6 – Oct 10 |
| Orionids | Oct 21, 18:08 UTC | — | 20 | 78% · Poor | Orion | Oct 2 – Nov 7 |
| Southern Taurids | Nov 5, 18:43 UTC | — | 5 | 12% · Excellent | Taurus | Sep 10 – Nov 20 |
| Northern Taurids | Nov 12, 17:57 UTC | — | 5 | 11% · Excellent | Taurus | Oct 20 – Dec 10 |
| Leonids | Nov 17, 23:31 UTC | — | 15 | 55% · Fair | Leo | Nov 6 – Nov 30 |
| Geminids | Dec 14, 13:26 UTC | — | 150 | 25% · Good | Gemini | Dec 4 – Dec 20 |
| Ursids | Dec 22, 21:54 UTC | — | 10 | 98% · Poor | Ursa Minor | Dec 17 – Dec 26 |
2027 meteor showers
| Shower | Peak (UTC) | Peak, your time | Rate/hour | Moon at peak | Radiant | Active |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Jan 4, 03:29 UTC | — | 80 | 12% · Excellent | Boötes | Dec 28 – Jan 12 |
| Lyrids | Apr 23, 01:38 UTC | — | 18 | 95% · Poor | Lyra | Apr 14 – Apr 30 |
| Eta Aquariids | May 6, 15:08 UTC | — | 50 | 0% · Excellent | Aquarius | Apr 19 – May 28 |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | Jul 30, 18:22 UTC | — | 25 | 10% · Excellent | Aquarius | Jul 12 – Aug 23 |
| Perseids | Aug 13, 08:00 UTC | — | 100 | 86% · Poor | Perseus | Jul 17 – Aug 24 |
| Draconids | Oct 9, 07:10 UTC | — | 10 | 67% · Fair | Draco | Oct 6 – Oct 10 |
| Orionids | Oct 22, 00:24 UTC | — | 20 | 58% · Fair | Orion | Oct 2 – Nov 7 |
| Southern Taurids | Nov 6, 00:48 UTC | — | 5 | 47% · Good | Taurus | Sep 10 – Nov 20 |
| Northern Taurids | Nov 13, 00:07 UTC | — | 5 | 98% · Poor | Taurus | Oct 20 – Dec 10 |
| Leonids | Nov 18, 05:45 UTC | — | 15 | 80% · Poor | Leo | Nov 6 – Nov 30 |
| Geminids | Dec 14, 19:38 UTC | — | 150 | 98% · Poor | Gemini | Dec 4 – Dec 20 |
| Ursids | Dec 23, 04:05 UTC | — | 10 | 21% · Excellent | Ursa Minor | Dec 17 – Dec 26 |
“Rate/hour” is the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) under ideal dark skies. The Moon column shows how much of the Moon is lit at the peak: under 25% is excellent, over 75% makes all but the brightest meteors hard to see. In 2026 the best-placed showers are Perseids.
Where meteors come from
Each shower happens when Earth passes through a trail of dust left by a comet or asteroid. The grains, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, hit the atmosphere at 20–70 km per second and burn up 80–120 km overhead. The Orionids and Eta Aquariids both come from Halley's Comet; the Perseids from Comet Swift–Tuttle; the Geminids from the asteroid 3200 Phaethon.
| Shower | Parent body | Speed | Best seen from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | asteroid 2003 EH1 | 41 km/s | Northern Hemisphere |
| Lyrids | Comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher) | 49 km/s | Northern Hemisphere |
| Eta Aquariids | Comet 1P/Halley | 66 km/s | Southern Hemisphere |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | Comet 96P/Machholz (probable) | 41 km/s | Southern Hemisphere |
| Perseids | Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle | 59 km/s | Northern Hemisphere |
| Draconids | Comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner | 20 km/s | Northern Hemisphere |
| Orionids | Comet 1P/Halley | 66 km/s | Both hemispheres |
| Southern Taurids | Comet 2P/Encke | 27 km/s | Both hemispheres |
| Northern Taurids | Comet 2P/Encke | 29 km/s | Both hemispheres |
| Leonids | Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle | 71 km/s | Both hemispheres |
| Geminids | asteroid 3200 Phaethon | 35 km/s | Both hemispheres |
| Ursids | Comet 8P/Tuttle | 33 km/s | Northern Hemisphere |
How to watch
Get away from city lights, lie back with a wide view of the sky, and give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adapt. The best hours are usually between midnight and dawn. Check moonrise and moonset to find the darkest part of the night, and see which planets are up tonight while you wait.
Questions people ask
What is the best meteor shower of the year?
The Geminids in December and the Perseids in August are usually the strongest, each with up to 100–150 meteors an hour under a dark sky. The Quadrantids in early January can match them but peak for only a few hours.
When is the best time to watch a meteor shower?
Usually after midnight and before dawn, when your side of Earth faces forward into the stream of debris. Give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adjust to the dark and avoid looking at your phone.
Do I need a telescope or binoculars?
No. Meteors streak across large parts of the sky, so your eyes are the best tool. Lie back and look about halfway up, away from the radiant.
What does ZHR mean?
Zenithal hourly rate: how many meteors one observer would see in an hour under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant directly overhead. Real counts are usually lower because of light pollution, moonlight and the radiant's height.
Why does the Moon matter?
A bright Moon washes out all but the brightest meteors. A shower that peaks near new moon can look several times richer than the same shower near full moon.
Peak times are calculated from the solar longitudes in the International Meteor Organization's working list of visual meteor showers, using Astronomy Engine. Actual peaks can arrive several hours early or late, and rates vary from year to year.