Calendars & Events
Meteor Shower Calendar 2027
The major meteor showers of 2027, with the best night for each and how much moonlight to expect. The Quadrantids and Eta Aquariids peak in dark skies this year.
- Best bet
- Quadrantids
- Jan 3
- Dark-sky peaks
- 3 of 10
- Little or no moonlight
- Richest shower
- Geminids
- Up to 150 an hour
- Showers listed
- 10
- Major annual showers
2027 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 | Sun, Jan 3 | 110/hr | Dark sky |
| Lyrids | Thu, Apr 22 | 18/hr | Moonlit |
| Eta Aquariids | Wed, May 5 | 50/hr | Dark sky |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | Tue, Jul 27 | 25/hr | Some moonlight |
| Perseids | Thu, Aug 12 | 100/hr | Moonlit |
| Draconids | Fri, Oct 8 | 10/hr | Moonlit |
| Orionids | Thu, Oct 21 | 20/hr | Moonlit |
| Leonids | Wed, Nov 17 | 15/hr | Moonlit |
| Geminids | Mon, Dec 13 | 150/hr | Moonlit |
| Ursids | Wed, Dec 22 | 10/hr | Dark sky |
Quadrantids · Jan 3
Dark sky- Best night
- Sun, Jan 3 into Mon, Jan 4
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:40 am
- Moon
- The 10% waning crescent rises at 4:52 am.
- Peak
- Around 10:30 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 22
Moonlit- Best night
- Thu, Apr 22 into Fri, Apr 23
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:41 am
- Moon
- The 94% waning gibbous rises at 10:03 pm.
- Peak
- Around 9:38 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
Dark sky- Best night
- Wed, May 5 into Thu, May 6
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:21 am
- Moon
- New moon, so no moonlight at all.
- Peak
- Around 11:08 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.
Southern Delta Aquariids · Jul 27
Some moonlight- Best night
- Tue, Jul 27 into Wed, Jul 28
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:18 am
- Moon
- The 33% waning crescent rises at 12:43 am.
- Peak
- Around 12:10 pm 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.
Better bet: the night of Fri, Jul 30 into Sat, Jul 31. The 7% waning crescent rises at 3:41 am. Rates are lower away from the peak, but a darker sky shows more of them.
Perseids · Aug 12
Moonlit- Best night
- Thu, Aug 12 into Fri, Aug 13
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 4:38 am
- Moon
- The 87% waxing gibbous sets at 2:39 am.
- Peak
- Around 4:00 am ET on Aug 13, 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.
Better bet: the night of Tue, Aug 10 into Wed, Aug 11. The 71% waxing gibbous sets at 12:53 am. Rates are lower away from the peak, but a darker sky shows more of them.
Draconids · Oct 8
Moonlit- Best night
- Fri, Oct 8 into Sat, Oct 9
- Watch
- From full dark at 7:59 pm until midnight
- Moon
- The 66% waxing gibbous sets at 1:19 am.
- Peak
- Around 3:10 am ET on Oct 9, 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 21
Moonlit- Best night
- Thu, Oct 21 into Fri, Oct 22
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:47 am
- Moon
- The 54% last-quarter moon rises at 11:20 pm.
- Peak
- Around 8:24 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 Sun, Oct 24 into Mon, Oct 25. The 22% waning crescent rises at 2:55 am. Rates are lower away from the peak, but a darker sky shows more of them.
Leonids · Nov 17
Moonlit- Best night
- Wed, Nov 17 into Thu, Nov 18
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:11 am
- Moon
- The 78% waning gibbous rises at 8:11 pm.
- Peak
- Around 12:45 am ET on Nov 18, 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
Moonlit- Best night
- Mon, Dec 13 into Tue, Dec 14
- Watch
- From 6:16 pm until dawn at 5:32 am, best after about 10 pm
- Moon
- The full moon is up all night.
- Peak
- Around 2:38 pm 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 22
Dark sky- Best night
- Wed, Dec 22 into Thu, Dec 23
- Watch
- Midnight until dawn starts to brighten the sky around 5:37 am
- Moon
- The 19% waning crescent rises at 3:17 am.
- Peak
- Around 11:05 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 2027?
The Quadrantids, peaking on the night of Sun, Jan 3 into Mon, Jan 4, with up to 110 meteors an hour under ideal skies and little moonlight. The Eta Aquariids also peak in dark skies.
When do the Perseids peak in 2027?
On the night of Thu, Aug 12 into Fri, Aug 13, with the peak predicted around 4:00 am ET on Aug 13. The 87% waxing gibbous sets at 2:39 am. The night of Tue, Aug 10 has less moonlight (the 71% waxing gibbous sets at 12:53 am.).
When do the Geminids peak in 2027?
On the night of Mon, Dec 13 into Tue, Dec 14, with the peak predicted around 2:38 pm ET on Dec 14. The full moon is up all night. Expect only the brighter meteors.
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.