Meteor shower calendar — 2026
The major annual meteor showers — when each peaks, how many meteors per hour to expect at its maximum under a dark sky, and how bright the Moon will be on the peak night (the single biggest factor in whether you'll see them). Dates are for the current year; a dark-sky location well away from town lights makes the difference between a handful of meteors and a memorable show.
The 2026 major showers
"ZHR" is the theoretical peak rate under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead — real counts are lower, especially from a light-polluted town. The Moon column is computed for each peak night: a bright Moon can wipe out all but the brightest meteors, so the dark-Moon showers are the ones worth planning a trip around.
| Shower | Peak night | ZHR | Radiant | Moon on peak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| QuadrantidsSharp, short peak — only a few hours. Best before dawn. | Jan 3, 2026 | 110 | Boötes | 🌕 100% · Moon interferes |
| LyridsFast, occasionally bright meteors; can surge unpredictably. | Apr 22, 2026 | 18 | Lyra | 🌒 27% · Some moonlight |
| Eta AquariidsBest from the southern U.S.; swift meteors in the pre-dawn sky. | May 6, 2026 | 50 | Aquarius | 🌖 80% · Moon interferes |
| Southern Delta AquariidsA broad, gentle peak that blends into early Perseid activity. | Jul 30, 2026 | 25 | Aquarius | 🌖 99% · Moon interferes |
| PerseidsThe summer favorite — reliable, bright, and warm-weather friendly. | Aug 12, 2026 | 100 | Perseus | 🌘 1% · Dark — great |
| DraconidsUsually quiet but capable of rare outbursts; best in the evening. | Oct 8, 2026 | 10 | Draco | 🌘 10% · Dark — great |
| OrionidsFast meteors with persistent trains; the second Halley shower of the year. | Oct 21, 2026 | 20 | Orion | 🌔 76% · Moon interferes |
| Southern TauridsLow rate but famous for slow, brilliant fireballs. | Nov 5, 2026 | 5 | Taurus | 🌘 22% · Dark — great |
| LeonidsVery fast meteors; storm years come roughly every 33 years. | Nov 17, 2026 | 15 | Leo | 🌓 50% · Some moonlight |
| GeminidsThe year's richest, most reliable shower — bright, multicolored, good all night. | Dec 14, 2026 | 150 | Gemini | 🌒 25% · Dark — great |
| UrsidsA quiet close to the year for far-northern observers. | Dec 22, 2026 | 10 | Ursa Minor | 🌔 96% · Moon interferes |
How to watch
Get to the darkest sky you can — find the nearest darker town to you if your own is too bright — give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adapt, and look about two-thirds of the way up the sky, away from the radiant rather than straight at it. No telescope needed; meteors are a naked-eye, whole-sky event. Check tonight's Moon phase and your local cloud forecast before you go.
Peak dates are the commonly-cited maxima and shift by about a day from year to year — always confirm the exact date for the current year before a trip.