Meteor shower calendar 2026–2027: peak dates and the best nights

A meteor shower happens when Earth passes through a stream of dust left behind by a comet or an asteroid. The bits burn up high in the air as "shooting stars". The same showers return every year at about the same date, but how many you see depends a lot on the Moon.

Next up (as of 9 October 2026): the small Draconids peaked on 9 October around 01:00 UT, with almost no moonlight. Next come the Orionids around 21 October, the Leonids on 17 November and the Geminids, usually the strongest shower of the year, on 13 to 14 December. In 2027 the best chances are the Quadrantids in early January (for northern observers) and the Eta Aquariids in May (best from the Southern Hemisphere and the tropics), both with little moonlight. The Perseids and Geminids of 2027 peak close to a bright Moon. Whether you can see a shower tonight also depends on your location, the radiant's height, moonlight and the weather; our Tonight page shows what is up where you are.

This calendar covers October 2026 to December 2027 and lists selected annual showers, with the peak time, the rate under ideal skies and the Moon. For three cities we also worked out when the sky is dark and the Moon is down.

Two terms help. The radiant is the point in the sky the meteors seem to come from. The ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) is how many meteors one person would see in an hour under a perfect sky with the radiant straight overhead. It is a way to compare showers, not a promise: most people see fewer.

Meteor shower calendar 2026–2027

Peak times are in UT (Universal Time, the clock in London in winter). Times marked "estimated reference time" are our own conversion of the International Meteor Organization's (IMO) data, rounded to the nearest half hour; see "How we checked". The American Meteor Society (AMS) gives slightly different peak nights and Moon percentages for some showers; we do not know the exact moment its Moon values refer to.

The IMO's peak times are predictions and our estimates are reference times; real peaks can come earlier or later, and showers stay active for days or weeks around them. We left out both Taurid branches (Southern and Northern Taurids).

October and November 2026: Draconids, Orionids and Leonids

Draconids: usually weak (ZHR about 5), peaking on 9 October 2026 around 01:00 UT according to the IMO, with the Moon almost new. The radiant is high in the evening in October, so the evening and early night are the time to look.

Times are rounded to the nearest 10 minutes. We list the dark stretch of at least 30 minutes with the Moon's centre below the horizon (allowing for the bending of light by the air) and the radiant more than 10° up, whose middle is closest to the listed time; it is not always the strongest part of the shower. A dash means no qualifying window under these criteria within 36 hours of the listed time, not that no meteors can be seen.

Orionids: the IMO gives 21 October 2026 as the peak date, with a ZHR of 20 or more. The Moon is a waxing gibbous, so it is up in the evening and sets later in the night. The IMO notes that this leaves some Moon-free hours, and the radiant in Orion climbs high before dawn. The American Meteor Society (AMS) names the night of 21 to 22 October. Our Orionid guide has the Moon-free hours for five cities.

Leonids: the IMO puts the regular peak at 17 November 2026, 23:45 UT, and quotes a model by Maslov with a peak at 16:00 UT the same day, both with a ZHR of about 15. The AMS names the night of 16 to 17 November instead. The Moon is about half lit and sets around midnight, so the hours before dawn are dark. Our Leonid guide has the best hours for five cities and the storm history.

December 2026: Geminids and Ursids

Geminids: usually the strongest shower of the year, with a ZHR of 150 and a peak on 14 December 2026 at 14:00 UT. The Moon is a waxing crescent, and Moon-free hours begin at different local times; see the city table. In London the listed Moon-free stretch starts on the evening after the peak; our Geminid guide explains the two chances in Europe. Our Geminid guide has the best hours for five cities, maps of where to look and an estimate of how many you will see.

Ursids: a small shower (ZHR about 10) for the Northern Hemisphere, peaking on 22 December 2026 at 22:00 UT, according to the IMO. The Moon is almost full that night: for our three cities we found no qualifying window of at least 30 minutes under our criteria within 36 hours of the listed time.

The AMS calls the Ursids a strictly northern-hemisphere event.

Quadrantids 2027: early January, with little moonlight

The Quadrantids can be strong (the IMO lists a ZHR of 80), but the peak is short: the AMS mentions about 6 hours of maximum activity. Our conversion of the IMO's peak position gives around Jan 4, 03:30 UT (estimated reference time), and the AMS gives a peak near 3:30 UT on 4 January. The Moon is a thin waning crescent, about 12 percent lit.

In Europe the estimated reference time falls in the early morning of 4 January, a good time. In North America it falls on the evening of 3 January: around 10:30 p.m. EST and 7:30 p.m. PST. In New York the Moon-free stretch only starts about an hour after that reference time. The radiant, in the northern constellation Boötes, stays very low from Sydney (at most about 7° up) and never reaches our 10° minimum, and the AMS says the shower is not well seen from the Southern Hemisphere.

Spring 2027: Lyrids and Eta Aquariids

Lyrids: our conversion of the IMO's reference peak gives around Apr 23, 02:00 UT (estimated reference time). The AMS names the night of 21 to 22 April, and the IMO notes that Lyrid peaks vary from year to year. Either way, the Moon is full or nearly full, so 2027 is a poor year for the Lyrids.

Lyrids

The usual ZHR is about 18, though the IMO notes short bursts of up to 90 in some years.

Eta Aquariids: a fast shower with an estimated reference time around May 6, 15:30 UT, with a ZHR of about 50 and an almost new Moon. The radiant only rises shortly before dawn, so this is a pre-dawn shower and much better from the Southern Hemisphere. The AMS calls it a strong shower from the southern tropics.

Eta Aquariids

Summer 2027: Southern Delta Aquariids and the Perseids

Southern Delta Aquariids: a steady shower (ZHR about 25) with an estimated reference time around Jul 31, 20:00 UT, with an almost new Moon. It is best from the southern tropics, and the AMS says it gives good rates for a week around the peak.

Southern Delta Aquariids

Perseids: the summer favourite in the Northern Hemisphere, with a ZHR of about 100. Our conversion of the IMO's peak position gives around Aug 13, 08:30 UT (estimated reference time); the AMS names the night of 12 to 13 August, and the IMO notes that the Perseid maximum varies by several hours from year to year. The Moon is about 87 percent lit and waxing, so it lights up the evening sky and sets around or after midnight. Only the hours before dawn are dark. The IMO calendar mentions a model by Maslov in which Earth passes through parts of the Perseid stream disturbed by Jupiter again in 2027, which may bring higher rates. That is a possibility, not a forecast of a number.

Perseids

Autumn 2027: Draconids, Orionids and Leonids

Draconids: usually weak (ZHR about 5), but the IMO notes occasional outbursts. Our estimated reference time for 2027 is around Oct 9, 07:30 UT. The radiant is high in the evening, unlike most showers, and the Moon is about two-thirds lit.

Draconids 2027

Orionids: estimated reference time around Oct 22, 01:00 UT, with a waning Moon about 58 percent lit that is up in the hours before dawn, when the radiant is highest.

Orionids 2027

Leonids: estimated reference time around Nov 18, 06:00 UT, with a Moon about 80 percent lit. For our three cities we found no qualifying window of at least 30 minutes under our criteria within 36 hours of the listed time.

Leonids 2027

December 2027: Geminids under a full Moon

The estimated reference time for the Geminids is around Dec 14, 20:00 UT, but the Moon is almost full (about 98 percent lit) and up most of the night. Bright moonlight will hide many of the fainter Geminids. The Ursids, a week later, have a much darker sky.

Geminids 2027

Ursids 2027

How to watch a meteor shower

1. Pick the right night and hour. Use the tables above. For most showers the radiant climbs higher in the second half of the night, so that is when you see the most. 2. Get away from lights. By the IMO formula, with the same radiant height and viewing conditions, a very dark sky (faintest stars magnitude 6.5) shows roughly four to eight times as many meteors as a suburban sky (magnitude 4.5), depending on the shower. 3. Check the weather and the Moon. Clouds and bright moonlight are the main reasons people see little. 4. Look up, not at the radiant. Meteors appear all over the sky. Lie back and take in as much sky as you can. 5. Give it time. Watch for at least an hour; meteors arrive at random. 6. No telescope needed. Your eyes see the most sky at once. A free planetarium such as Stellarium Web shows where a radiant is from your town.

Meteor shower FAQ

Is there a meteor shower tonight? Check the "Active" column in the calendar: a shower may be active tonight, but your chances depend on your location, the radiant's height, moonlight and the weather. Rates are highest around the peak.

What is the biggest meteor shower in 2026? The Geminids have the highest expected rate: about 150 meteors an hour under perfect viewing conditions, with their peak on 14 December 2026. Most people see fewer. The Perseids peaked in August, with an ideal rate of about 100 an hour.

What is the next meteor shower? As of 9 October 2026: the Orionids (around 21 October), then the Leonids (17 November) and the Geminids (13 to 14 December). The small Draconids peaked on 9 October around 01:00 UT.

What is the best meteor shower of 2027? On paper the Geminids and the Perseids, but both peak near a bright Moon in 2027. The Quadrantids in early January (for northern observers) and the Eta Aquariids in May (for southern and tropical observers) have dark skies at their peaks.

How many meteors will I see? Far fewer than the ZHR. Our chart compares the ZHR with an illustrative estimate: one person, a clear rural sky where the faintest visible stars are magnitude 5.5, the radiant 50° up, no trees or buildings in the way, and the shower at full strength: for example about 44 an hour for the Geminids and 35 for the Perseids at full strength.

Do I need to be in the Northern Hemisphere? No. Several showers can be seen from both hemispheres. The Eta Aquariids and Southern Delta Aquariids favour southern observers; the Quadrantids and Ursids favour northern observers.

What else happens in the sky in 2027? A total solar eclipse on 2 August 2027 crosses southern Spain, North Africa and the Middle East. See our eclipse guide.

How we checked

Shower data (activity periods, ZHR, radiant, speed and the position of each peak) come from the International Meteor Organization's 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar, edited by Jürgen Rendtel. The IMO website was being rebuilt when we wrote this: the 2026 calendar came from an archived copy, and the 2027 calendar PDF did not load. We cross-checked peak nights and notes with the American Meteor Society's calendar, read on 8 October 2026.

The IMO gives each peak as a solar longitude: the Sun's position along its yearly path in the sky, which marks Earth's place in its orbit and repeats each year. We took the solar longitudes from the 2026 calendar and found when the Sun reaches them in 2027, using Earth's heliocentric ecliptic longitude (J2000) from NASA JPL Horizons plus 180°, in hourly values with linear interpolation. These are estimated reference times, not new predictions of each shower's 2027 behaviour. We tested the method on 2026 first: our times were broadly consistent with the IMO's published 2026 times, with differences of up to about 25 minutes for the central times and about 40 minutes for the edges of the expected peak periods (some IMO times are themselves rounded). For the Quadrantids, the AMS gives a 2027 peak near 3:30 UT, against 3:34 UT in our conversion. Real peaks can shift by hours from year to year.

The Moon's phase at each listed time and the Sun and Moon positions for New York, London and Sydney come from JPL Horizons, every 10 minutes from 36 hours before to 36 hours after each listed time. We counted the sky as dark when the Sun was more than 18° below the horizon, and looked for stretches of at least 30 minutes with the Moon's centre below the horizon and the radiant more than 10° up; the tables show the stretch whose middle is closest to the listed time. Local times include daylight saving time where it applies. The illustrative rates use the IMO formula: rate = ZHR × sin(radiant height) ÷ r^(6.5 − faintest star magnitude), where r (the population index) describes how many faint meteors a shower has compared with bright ones. They assume the shower at full strength and an unobstructed view; they are not Moon-adjusted forecasts for any city.

The photos are by NASA/Bill Ingalls. The charts are ours. None of the images is AI-generated. We will update this page when the IMO publishes its 2027 calendar online again.