Stargazer’s Almanac

Meteor showers

Shooting stars, on schedule

Meteor showers return on the same dates every year as Earth crosses old comet trails. This calendar updates itself and checks each peak against the Moon.

Moon at peak

Next up · In 12 days

Leonids

Peak night Nov 17–18, 2026

Rate (ZHR)
15 / hr
Radiant
Leo, in the Sickle
Parent
Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle
Speed
71 km/s

Good First Quarter, 55% lit. In the evening sky. Sets around 1:00 am, with dark skies after that.

Normally modest, but produced true meteor storms in 1833, 1966 and 1999–2002.

The year ahead

Ten showers worth a look

Sorted by next peak. “Moon” is its phase at the peak, and the outlook combines brightness with whether it sets before the pre-dawn hours.

Shower Peak night Active ZHR Parent Moon Outlook
Leonids Leo, in the Sickle Nov 17–18, 2026 in 12 days Nov 6 – Nov 30 15 Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle 55% Good
Geminids Gemini, near Castor Dec 13–14, 2026 in 38 days Dec 4 – Dec 20 150 Asteroid 3200 Phaethon 20% Great
Ursids Ursa Minor, near Kochab Dec 21–22, 2026 in 46 days Dec 17 – Dec 26 10 Comet 8P/Tuttle 94% Poor
Quadrantids Boötes (near the Big Dipper’s handle) Jan 3–4, 2027 in 59 days Dec 28 – Jan 12 80–120 Asteroid 2003 EH1 13% Great
Lyrids Lyra, near Vega Apr 22–23, 2027 in 168 days Apr 14 – Apr 30 18 Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher 95% Poor
Eta Aquariids Aquarius May 5–6, 2027 in 181 days Apr 19 – May 28 50 Comet 1P/Halley 0% Great
Southern Delta Aquariids Aquarius Jul 29–30, 2027 in 266 days Jul 12 – Aug 23 25 Probably comet 96P/Machholz 17% Great
Perseids Perseus Aug 12–13, 2027 in 280 days Jul 17 – Aug 24 100 Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle 84% Poor
Draconids Draco Oct 8–9, 2027 in 337 days Oct 6 – Oct 10 ~10, variable Comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner 64% Good
Orionids Orion, near Betelgeuse Oct 21–22, 2027 in 350 days Oct 2 – Nov 7 Active now 20 Comet 1P/Halley 58% Fair

Peak dates drift by about a day from year to year and some showers peak for only a few hours. Check the IMO calendar before a big night out.

How to watch

The best equipment is a deck chair

Meteors are grains of comet dust, mostly smaller than a pea, burning up 80–120 km overhead at tens of kilometres per second. Catching them needs patience and a wide view more than anything else.

  1. Check the Moon and the clouds

    The outlook below accounts for moonlight. For clouds, check an astronomy forecast on the day.

  2. Go after midnight

    Most showers peak in the small hours, when your side of Earth faces forward along its orbit and scoops up more debris.

  3. Lie back and look wide

    Meteors can appear anywhere. Face the darkest part of the sky, about halfway up, rather than staring at the radiant.

  4. Skip the gear

    Binoculars and telescopes are too narrow. Your eyes, a reclining chair and a warm blanket are the ideal kit.

  5. Give it an hour

    Meteors come in bursts and lulls. Twenty minutes of dark adaptation plus an hour of watching is a fair test.

Glossary

Four words you’ll meet

Radiant
The point the meteors appear to stream from. It names the shower: the Perseids radiate from Perseus.
ZHR
Zenithal Hourly Rate: meteors an hour for one observer under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Real counts are usually lower.
Parent body
The comet or asteroid that shed the dust. Earth crosses its debris trail on the same dates every year.
Fireball
A meteor brighter than Venus. Most showers produce a few, and the Perseids and Geminids are known for them.

Further reading