Meteor shower
Leonids 2026: when and where to see them
The Leonids peak on the night of 16–17 November 2026. Under a dark sky you could see up to 15 meteors an hour.
Is it clear for the Leonids tonight? Check your sky- Peak night
- 16–17 November 2026
- Meteors an hour (ZHR)
- up to 15
- Best time
- before dawn
- Moon
- 46% lit
- Radiant
- Leo
- Speed
- 71 km/s
The Moon this year
The Moon is 46% lit but sets in the late evening, so the hours after midnight are dark.
About the Leonids
The Leonids are the fastest meteors of the year, hitting the air at 71 km/s, and often leave glowing trails. Most years they are modest, but they produced great meteor storms in 1833, 1966 and around 2001, when thousands an hour were seen.
Where to look
The meteors seem to fly out of a point in Leo, the radiant, but they can appear anywhere in the sky. Look about halfway up, at a wide area of sky away from the Moon and street lights, and give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark.
How to watch
- Get away from town lights if you can. A dark sky shows several times as many meteors.
- Lie back on a mat or a reclining chair, so you can watch a big piece of sky without craning your neck.
- Keep your phone away, or use a red screen: one glance at a bright screen undoes your night vision.
- Dress warmly and be patient. Meteors come in bursts, with quiet spells in between.
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