The Best Meteor Showers of 2026

2026 is a year of contrasts for meteor watchers. Two of the year’s best showers – the Perseids in August and the Geminids in December – peak under near-perfect dark skies, giving you genuinely excellent chances to see plenty of meteors. But several major showers are badly washed out by bright moonlight, including the Quadrantids, Eta Aquarids, and Delta Aquarids.

Plan your year around August 12-13 (Perseids, new moon) and December 13-14 (Geminids, 21% moon). Those are the standout nights. For everything else, check the table below and manage your expectations accordingly.

Keep reading for full details on each shower.

2026 Meteor Showers At a Glance

Quadrantids

January 03-04, 2026

The Quadrantids are a capable shower that rarely gets the attention they deserve, with a peak zenithal hourly rate of around 40 meteors per hour. The catch is that the peak lasts only a few hours, so timing is everything. In 2026 the peak falls on January 3-4 with the moon full (100% illumination). The bright moonlight will wash out most meteors, making this one of the more difficult showers to observe this year. Try watching from a dark site in the hours around peak for the best chance of catching the brighter ones.

The Lyrids

April 22-23, 2026

The Lyrids are a reliable spring shower, active from around April 14 to 30. The 2026 peak falls on April 22-23, with the moon a waxing crescent at 27% illumination and setting in the early evening. That gives you most of the night in good dark conditions. Expect around 10-18 meteors per hour under clear skies, with the occasional bright fireball – the Lyrids have a good reputation for producing them. The radiant in Lyra rises in the northeast after sunset and is high by midnight.

Eta Aquarids

May 06-07, 2026

The Eta Aquarids are debris from Halley’s Comet, and for observers in the southern hemisphere they’re one of the year’s best showers, with rates reaching 40-50 per hour. Northern hemisphere observers typically see less, around 10-20 per hour, since the radiant in Aquarius doesn’t rise very high before dawn. The 2026 peak falls on May 6-7, but the moon is at 84% illumination, which will significantly reduce the number of faint meteors visible. Focus on the pre-dawn hours and watch for the brighter ones.

Southern Delta Aquarids

July 28-29, 2026

The Southern Delta Aquarids peak around July 28-29, with typical rates of 15-20 per hour. They’re best observed from tropical and southern latitudes, where the radiant in Aquarius climbs reasonably high. In 2026 the moon is at 98% illumination at peak – essentially full – and will wash out nearly all but the brightest meteors. The shower has a broad, gradual peak, so if you catch it a few nights before or after under slightly better conditions, you may still see a few stragglers.

Alpha Capricornids

July 29, 2026

The Alpha Capricornids are a minor shower, active at the same time as the Southern Delta Aquarids, peaking on July 29. Rates rarely exceed 5 per hour, but this shower is notable for producing a disproportionate share of very bright, slow-moving fireballs. In 2026 the nearly full moon (98%) makes casual watching unrewarding, but if fireballs are your thing, it’s worth keeping an eye out – they can punch through moonlight that wipes out fainter meteors entirely.

Perseids

August 12-13, 2026

The Perseids are the most popular meteor shower of the year, and 2026 is about as good as it gets. The peak falls on August 12-13 with the moon new – zero interference, perfect dark skies all night. Under clear conditions, expect 80-100 meteors per hour, with fast, bright meteors and a healthy number of fireballs. The Perseids are active from mid-July through late August, but the nights around August 12-13 are the ones to prioritise. This is the shower to plan your observing year around in 2026.

Draconids

October 07, 2026

The Draconids are unusual in that they’re best watched in the evening rather than the pre-dawn hours – the radiant in Draco is highest as darkness falls. Typical rates are modest, around 5-10 per hour, but the shower has surprised observers before with brief outbursts. In 2026 the peak falls on October 7, with the moon a 12% crescent that sets early, leaving good dark sky conditions for the rest of the evening. A pleasant autumn shower worth an hour or two outside.

Orionids

October 21-22, 2026

The Orionids, like the Eta Aquarids, come from debris shed by Halley’s Comet. They produce fast, bright meteors with persistent glowing trains, active throughout October and into early November. The 2026 peak falls on October 21-22, with the moon at 78% illumination – enough to dull the fainter meteors but leaving the brighter ones visible. Best observing is in the pre-dawn hours when the radiant near Orion’s border with Gemini is well placed. Typical rates are 15-20 per hour under ideal conditions.

Taurids

November 04-05 and November 11-12, 2026

The Taurids come in two streams. The Southern Taurids peak around November 4-5 and the Northern Taurids around November 11-12. Rates are low, rarely more than 5 per hour, but the Taurids are active for weeks and famous for producing spectacular fireballs. In 2026 both peaks fall under decent conditions: the Southern Taurids with the moon at 18% and the Northern Taurids at 10%. Worth a look on any clear autumn evening through late October and November.

Leonids

November 17-18, 2026

The Leonids are one of the most historically dramatic meteor showers, responsible for some of the greatest storms ever recorded. In most years rates are more modest at 10-15 per hour, but the meteors are among the fastest of any shower and often leave bright persistent trains. The 2026 peak falls on November 17-18, with the moon at 58% illumination – not ideal, but the brightest Leonids will still be visible. Watch in the pre-dawn hours when Leo is well up in the east.

Geminids

December 13-14, 2026

The Geminids are arguably the finest meteor shower of the year – prolific, reliable, and active throughout the night. With zenithal hourly rates reaching 120 or more, they consistently outperform the Perseids in sheer numbers. The meteors are medium-speed, often coloured, with a high proportion of genuinely bright ones. In 2026 the peak falls on December 13-14, with the moon at just 21% – a crescent that sets in the early evening, leaving most of the night beautifully dark. Unlike most showers, the Geminids are worth watching from 10pm onwards rather than waiting for pre-dawn. This is the other unmissable night of 2026.

Ursids

December 21-22, 2026

The Ursids mark the end of the meteor calendar, peaking around the winter solstice on December 21-22. Typical rates are 5-10 per hour. The shower is visible only from the northern hemisphere, where the radiant near Kochab in Ursa Minor is circumpolar and never sets. In 2026 the moon is at 85% illumination at peak, making conditions difficult. Still, if you’re outside on a clear solstice night, it’s worth a glance northward for the occasional bright meteor.

Quadrantids 2027

January 03-04, 2027

The Quadrantids return on January 3-4, 2027, with the moon at just 18% – a huge improvement on the washed-out 2026 peak. If this year’s display disappoints, make a note to try again next January under much better dark sky conditions.

What Causes Meteor Showers?

As comets orbit our solar system, they leave behind a trail of ice and dust particles.

When Earth’s roughly circular orbit overlaps the comets’ highly elongated ones, our planet encounters upwards of half a billion of these comet particles.

Earth’s gravitational pull sucks them in towards itself, revving their speeds up to 160,000 miles an hour. As they encounter our atmosphere, friction heats them to 2,000°F (1,100°C).

As the comet particles slam into Earth’s upper atmosphere, their icy nuclei vaporize in a matter of seconds, liberating the dust within. This dust gives off a brief, often vibrant burst of light as it too is vaporized, which we see as the proverbial ‘shooting star’.

This feat, as seen from the ground, produces a dense and steady stream of incoming meteors, their numbers ranging from a couple of dozen each hour to tens per second, depending on which comet’s trail we’re passing through at the time.

Since comets’ paths around the sun are relatively fixed, meteor showers are well documented and occur approximately at the same time each year.

Locating Meteor Showers

On any given night, there may be four or five visible shooting stars every hour. The easiest way to spot them is to notice their fast speeds. Stars twinkle, planets shine calmly, and meteors streak across the night sky in a whizz of light.

Learn how to photograph the night sky to capture meteor trails

While occasional shooting stars are visible almost every night to a patient observer, they arrive in bulk during a meteor shower.

The duration of these showers depends on the width of the dust trail shed by comets. The smaller the dust particle, the easier it is moved by the Sun’s wind (known as the solar wind), causing a more extensive trail. In such cases, Earth takes quite a few days to pass through the trail.

To make the most of their visibility, you have to locate the point from which the shower seems to originate (the radiant) by tracing its path backward.

Though meteors appear to fill the sky, any within the same shower come from the same direction in space and will be traveling away from their radiant. Each meteor shower is named after the constellation its radiant is located in.

For example, the Perseid meteor shower has its radiant in the constellation of Perseus.

Knowing the rising time of the constellations is probably the best way to prepare for your observations since it determines when the shower will be the maximum from your location. Use paid software like SkySafari, or free versions such as Stellarium to help you out.

Tips for watching meteor showers

Searching for meteors is one of the simplest activities in all of astronomy, but it does require patience and, if you’re going to be outside for a long time, the ability to be warm and comfortable. Here are a few tips to keep in mind when undertaking your own meteor watch.

Moonlight

It is important to remember that moonlight seriously hinders meteor watching. However, most of the showers last many days, if not months, so time your observations when the moon is not so bright or when it is not high in the sky.

In the table at the top of this page, we’ve set out how much of the lunar surface will be illuminated at the peak of each shower. 100% equals a full moon, 50% is the first and last quarters, and 0% is a new moon.

Remember also that the moon is not out all night (unless it’s a full moon) so in our longer notes for the meteor showers we’ve also mentioned the best time to look for them to avoid the moon. For example, if the moon sets at midnight, then wait until the early hours to count meteors.

To further improve your hunting, consider a darker sky if that’s possible. Use the Dark Site Finder to find a location near you with a dark sky. Alternatively, this list of the darkest locations for each US state will help you find places with the least amount of light pollution near you.

Recording the showers

While you can carry a pen and a clipboard to note down the number of meteors, you will have to take your eyes off the sky, leading to inaccurate observations. 

Instead, you can speak into your audio recording device. Make sure to record at least for an hour, since that covers both high and low meteor activity. 

The International Meteor Organization (IMO) also has a list of software tools that can aid in spotting constellations and predicting meteor scatter. If you happen to observe a fireball, the IMO has an ever-expanding database where you can contribute your sightings. 

Essentials for Meteor Watching

You’ll get the best view of the night sky when you lie on your back (the horizon should be visible at the edge of your peripheral vision). Make sure to move away from the city lights and allow at least 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.

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While you don’t need any special or professional equipment, consider carrying a star map to navigate the sky and spot constellations. We recommend a decent planisphere, like these.

Since meteor watching can consume many hours, consider spreading out a thick blanket or relaxing in comfortable chairs while you wait for the show. We’d also recommend a Thermos of hot coffee too, just to keep away the chills.

Oh, and don’t forget to add loads of excitement to your checklist. Happy meteor watching!