Calendars & Events
Meteor Shower Calendar 2026
The major meteor showers of 2026, with the best night for each and how much moonlight to expect. The Geminids, Perseids and Lyrids peak in dark skies this year.
- Best bet
- Geminids
- Dec 13
- Dark-sky peaks
- 5 of 10
- Little or no moonlight
- Richest shower
- Geminids
- Up to 150 an hour
- Showers listed
- 10
- Major annual showers
2026 at a glance
The moon decides most meteor showers. The outlook column shows how much moonlight there is during the hours that matter for each shower; a dark-sky peak is worth a late night or an early alarm.
| Shower | Best night | Peak rate | Outlook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | Fri, Jan 2 | 110/hr | Moonlit |
| Lyrids | Tue, Apr 21 | 18/hr | Dark sky |
| Eta Aquariids | Tue, May 5 | 50/hr | Moonlit |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | Mon, Jul 27 | 25/hr | Moonlit |
| Perseids | Wed, Aug 12 | 100/hr | Dark sky |
| Draconids | Thu, Oct 8 | 10/hr | Dark sky |
| Orionids | Tue, Oct 20 | 20/hr | Some moonlight |
| Leonids | Tue, Nov 17 | 15/hr | Dark sky |
| Geminids | Sun, Dec 13 | 150/hr | Dark sky |
| Ursids | Mon, Dec 21 | 10/hr | Moonlit |
Quadrantids · Jan 2
Moonlit- Best night
- Fri, Jan 2 into Sat, Jan 3
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:40 am
- Moon
- The full moon is up all night.
- Peak
- Around 4:21 pm ET on Jan 3, up to 110 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Dec 28 – Jan 12
- Source
- Debris from asteroid 2003 EH1
The peak lasts only a few hours, so timing matters more than for any other major shower.
Lyrids · Apr 21
Dark sky- Best night
- Tue, Apr 21 into Wed, Apr 22
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:42 am
- Moon
- The 31% waxing crescent sets at 1:08 am.
- Peak
- Around 3:37 pm ET on Apr 22, up to 18 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Apr 14 – 30
- Source
- Debris from comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher)
Modest rates with the occasional bright fireball; the radiant climbs high before dawn.
Eta Aquariids · May 5
Moonlit- Best night
- Tue, May 5 into Wed, May 6
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:20 am
- Moon
- The 82% waning gibbous rises at 12:01 am.
- Peak
- Around 5:12 am ET on May 6, up to 50 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Apr 19 – May 28
- Source
- Debris from comet 1P/Halley
Much better from the southern United States and farther south; from 37°N expect 10 to 30 an hour in the last hours before dawn.
Better bet: the night of Fri, May 8 into Sat, May 9. The 56% last-quarter moon rises at 1:54 am. Rates are lower away from the peak, but a darker sky shows more of them.
Southern Delta Aquariids · Jul 27
Moonlit- Best night
- Mon, Jul 27 into Tue, Jul 28
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:19 am
- Moon
- The full moon is up all night.
- Peak
- Around 5:59 am ET on Jul 28, up to 25 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Jul 12 – Aug 23
- Source
- Debris from comet 96P/Machholz
Mostly faint meteors from a low radiant; they overlap the early Perseids.
Perseids · Aug 12
Dark sky- Best night
- Wed, Aug 12 into Thu, Aug 13
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:38 am
- Moon
- New moon, so no moonlight at all.
- Peak
- Around 9:52 pm ET on Aug 12, up to 100 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Jul 17 – Aug 24
- Source
- Debris from comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle
The most reliable shower of summer, with a broad peak worth watching for two or three nights.
Draconids · Oct 8
Dark sky- Best night
- Thu, Oct 8 into Fri, Oct 9
- Watch
- From full dark at 7:58 pm until midnight
- Moon
- New moon, so no moonlight at all.
- Peak
- Around 9:02 pm ET on Oct 8, up to 10 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Oct 6 – 10
- Source
- Debris from comet 21P/Giacobini–Zinner
An evening shower, usually quiet, with rare outbursts.
Orionids · Oct 20
Some moonlight- Best night
- Tue, Oct 20 into Wed, Oct 21
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:46 am
- Moon
- The 75% waxing gibbous sets at 2:22 am.
- Peak
- Around 2:08 pm ET on Oct 21, up to 20 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Oct 2 – Nov 7
- Source
- Debris from comet 1P/Halley
Fast meteors from Halley's Comet; the broad peak spans several nights.
Better bet: the night of Sat, Oct 17 into Sun, Oct 18. The 47% first-quarter moon sets at 11:18 pm, leaving the best hours dark. Rates are lower away from the peak, but a darker sky shows more of them.
Leonids · Nov 17
Dark sky- Best night
- Tue, Nov 17 into Wed, Nov 18
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:11 am
- Moon
- The 59% waxing gibbous sets at 12:09 am.
- Peak
- Around 6:31 pm ET on Nov 17, up to 15 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Nov 6 – 30
- Source
- Debris from comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle
The fastest meteors of the year. No storm is expected in these years.
Geminids · Dec 13
Dark sky- Best night
- Sun, Dec 13 into Mon, Dec 14
- Watch
- From 6:16 pm until dawn at 5:32 am, best after about 10 pm
- Moon
- The 23% waxing crescent sets at 8:59 pm.
- Peak
- Around 8:26 am ET on Dec 14, up to 150 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Dec 4 – 20
- Source
- Debris from asteroid 3200 Phaethon
The richest shower of the year, and active from mid-evening because the radiant rises early.
Ursids · Dec 21
Moonlit- Best night
- Mon, Dec 21 into Tue, Dec 22
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:36 am
- Moon
- The 96% waxing gibbous is up all night.
- Peak
- Around 4:54 pm ET on Dec 22, up to 10 meteors an hour under ideal skies
- Active
- Dec 17 – 26
- Source
- Debris from comet 8P/Tuttle
A small shower near the solstice; the radiant stays up all night from northern latitudes.
How to watch a meteor shower
Get away from lights, lie back, and look about halfway up the sky, not straight at the radiant: meteors near the radiant have short trails, while those farther away streak across the sky. Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust and keep your phone screen off or red.
Rates rise through the night as your side of Earth turns into the stream, so the hours before dawn are best for most showers. The numbers above are ideal rates; under a typical rural sky, expect half or fewer. See our guide to finding dark skies for where to go.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best meteor shower in 2026?
The Geminids, peaking on the night of Sun, Dec 13 into Mon, Dec 14, with up to 150 meteors an hour under ideal skies and little moonlight. The Perseids and Lyrids also peak in dark skies.
When do the Perseids peak in 2026?
On the night of Wed, Aug 12 into Thu, Aug 13, with the peak predicted around 9:52 pm ET on Aug 12. The moon won't interfere: new moon, so no moonlight at all.
When do the Geminids peak in 2026?
On the night of Sun, Dec 13 into Mon, Dec 14, with the peak predicted around 8:26 am ET on Dec 14. The moon won't interfere: the 23% waxing crescent sets at 8:59 pm.
What does ZHR mean?
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 lower, often half or less, because the radiant is lower and the sky is brighter.