Meteor Shower Calendar 2026 and 2027 With Moon Brightness

How to read the calendar

• Active is the span of dates when the shower produces meteors, per the IMO's working list. You can see some meteors on any night in that window.
• Peak is the date of maximum activity. For most showers, the nights either side are also good. The date is in Universal Time, so the best night in the Americas is often the night before or of the listed date.
• ZHR is the IMO's zenithal hourly rate at the peak. Treat it as a ceiling, not a promise.
• Moon at peak estimates how much of the Moon is lit on the peak date. Under 25% means little interference; over 60% means a bright Moon for at least part of the night.

Remaining 2026 showers

As of November 11, 2026:

The IMO notes for 2026 that there is only a waxing crescent at the Geminid maximum, while the Ursids peak two days before Full Moon. See our Geminids 2026 guide.

2027 highlights

The IMO's 2027 calendar lists the Quadrantids peaking on January 4, the Lyrids on April 23, the Eta Aquariids on May 6, the Perseids on August 13 (ZHR 110+), the Orionids on October 22, the Leonids on November 18 and the Geminids on December 14. Use the year selector above to see the Moon at each peak.

Why the Moon matters

Meteors range from bright fireballs to faint streaks at the limit of vision. Most are faint. Moonlight brightens the whole sky, so the faint majority disappear and you only see the brighter ones. The American Meteor Society suggests using Moon rise and set times to choose a darker observing window, and looking at a part of the sky away from the Moon.

Even a bright Moon doesn't rule out a shower. It just lowers expectations. A crescent Moon that sets early, like the one at the 2026 Geminid peak, leaves most of the night dark.

Getting the most from a peak night

• Check when it gets fully dark with the dark sky calculator.
• Most showers are best from midnight to dawn, when radiants are higher, according to the American Meteor Society. The Geminids are an exception: the IMO notes that well north of the equator their radiant rises about sunset and is usable from the evening hours.
• Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust, and avoid phone screens.
• Watch a wide area of sky; meteors can appear anywhere, not only near the radiant.

More in how to watch a meteor shower.

Data notes

Activity periods, peak dates and ZHRs are copied from the IMO calendars' Table 5. The IMO notes its 2027 table reflected the best information available in June 2026, with maximum dates accurate for 2027. Moon brightness is our estimate from U.S. Naval Observatory New Moon times, calculated for the peak date. Unusual outbursts can happen that no calendar predicts.

Common questions

What is the best meteor shower of the year?

By rate, the Geminids in December, with an IMO ZHR of about 150, followed by the Perseids in August (100 in 2026, 110+ listed for 2027) and the Quadrantids in early January (about 80, but a very short peak).

When is the next meteor shower?

As of Nov 11, 2026, the Leonids peak on Nov 17, the Geminids on Dec 14 and the Ursids on Dec 22. The 2027 Quadrantids peak on Jan 4, 2027.

What does ZHR mean?

Zenithal hourly rate: the number of meteors one observer would see in an hour under a perfectly dark sky with the shower's radiant directly overhead. Real counts are lower when the sky is brighter or the radiant is low.

Does the Moon matter that much?

Yes. Moonlight brightens the sky and hides fainter meteors. A shower at a modest rate under a dark sky can be more satisfying than a strong shower near Full Moon.