Asteroids & meteors guide
Meteor Shower Calendar 2026–2027: Dates, Rates and Moon Phases
Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through the dust left behind by a comet or asteroid. The same showers return on the same dates every year, but the Moon changes, and it makes the biggest difference to how many you'll see.
Updated 27 October 2026
The calendar
Peak dates are the night most worth watching; most showers are active for a few nights either side. The rate is the ZHR, the number an observer would see per hour under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. In practice expect a third to half of that.
| Shower | Peak night | Rate (ZHR) | Moon | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leonids | 17 Nov 2026 | ~15 | 46%, sets around midnight | Good after midnight |
| Geminids | 13–14 Dec 2026 | ~150 | 21% crescent, sets early | Excellent |
| Ursids | 22 Dec 2026 | ~10 | 94% | Poor |
| Quadrantids | 3–4 Jan 2027 | ~110 | 12% crescent before dawn | Very good |
| Lyrids | 22 Apr 2027 | ~18 | 98%, full Moon | Poor |
| Eta Aquariids | 6 May 2027 | ~50 | New Moon | Excellent, best in the southern hemisphere |
| Southern Delta Aquariids | 30 Jul 2027 | ~25 | 16% crescent | Good, best in the south |
| Perseids | 12–13 Aug 2027 | ~100 | 85%, sets after midnight | Fair: watch before dawn |
| Draconids | 8 Oct 2027 | ~10 | 56% | Fair, best in the evening |
| Orionids | 21 Oct 2027 | ~20 | 68%, rises late evening | Poor to fair |
| Leonids | 17 Nov 2027 | ~15 | 89% | Poor |
| Geminids | 13–14 Dec 2027 | ~150 | 100%, full Moon | Poor |
Moon figures are the share of the Moon lit on the peak night, calculated for this calendar.
The best ones to plan for
- Geminids, 13–14 December 2026. The strongest shower of the year, with a thin crescent Moon that sets in the early evening. Meteors start from about 9 pm and continue all night.
- Quadrantids, 3–4 January 2027. A short, sharp peak lasting only a few hours, but rich when you catch it. Best from northern Europe and North America in the hours before dawn.
- Eta Aquariids, 6 May 2027. Debris from Halley's Comet, with a new Moon. Best from the southern hemisphere and the tropics, in the last hours before dawn.
How to watch
- Get away from street lights and give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust. Don't look at your phone, or use a red screen.
- Lie back and look at a wide area of sky about halfway up. Meteors appear anywhere, not just near the radiant.
- After midnight is usually better: your side of Earth then faces the direction Earth is travelling, so it meets more meteors.
- Dress warmly, even in summer. You'll be still for a long time.
The Meteors tab in Asteroids & Meteors shows each shower's radiant in your sky, its height and the Moon, and lists recent fireballs.