Meteor showers

Every major meteor shower in the next twelve months: the best night for each, how many meteors to expect from a dark place and from a city, and how much the Moon gets in the way. Open one for the best time and direction from your city.

• Oct 21-222026 · fading

  Orionids

  Up to 15 an hour from a dark place, about 3 from a city · a bright Moon

  Active Oct 2 to Nov 7. Fast, with glowing trails that can hang in the sky for a second or two.

• Nov 12-132026 · on now

  Taurids

  Up to 5 an hour from a dark place, about 1 from a city · little moonlight

  Active Sep 20 to Dec 10. Only a few an hour, but slow and known for bright fireballs, which is why they are called the "Halloween fireballs".

• Nov 17-182026

  Leonids

  Up to 9 an hour from a dark place, about 2 from a city · the Moon sets around midnight

  Active Nov 6 to Nov 30. The fastest meteors of the year, often leaving glowing trails.

• Dec 13-142026

  Geminids

  Up to 90 an hour from a dark place, about 20 from a city · little moonlight

  Active Dec 4 to Dec 20. The richest shower of the year: bright, medium speed, some with a tint of color.

• Dec 22-232026

  Ursids

  Up to 6 an hour from a dark place, about 1 from a city · a bright Moon

  Active Dec 17 to Dec 26. A modest shower around the December solstice, best from the north, where the radiant never sets.

• Jan 3-42027

  Quadrantids

  Up to 60 an hour from a dark place, about 20 from a city · little moonlight

  Active Dec 28 to Jan 12. A short, sharp peak that lasts only a few hours, so timing matters more than for any other shower.

• Apr 22-232027

  Lyrids

  Up to 10 an hour from a dark place, about 4 from a city · a bright Moon

  Active Apr 14 to Apr 30. Medium speed, with the odd bright one.

• May 6-72027

  Eta Aquariids

  Up to 30 an hour from a dark place, about 9 from a city · little moonlight

  Active Apr 19 to May 28. Fast, often leaving glowing trails.

• Jul 30-312027

  Southern Delta Aquariids

  Up to 15 an hour from a dark place, about 4 from a city · little moonlight

  Active Jul 12 to Aug 23. Mostly faint, with steady numbers over several nights.

• Aug 12-132027

  Perseids

  Up to 70 an hour from a dark place, about 20 from a city · a bright Moon

  Active Jul 17 to Aug 24. Fast and bright, many leaving trails, on warm summer nights in the north.

• Oct 8-92027

  Draconids

  Up to 3 an hour from a dark place, about 1 from a city · the Moon sets around midnight

  Active Oct 6 to Oct 10. Very slow.

How we work it out: the peak times come from the Sun's position, the way the International Meteor Organization (IMO) times them, and the rates start from the IMO's numbers for a perfect sky. We scale them for how high the shower's radiant gets, twilight, the Moon, and a city's lights. They're estimates: clouds, haze and your eyes all change them. Showers sometimes surprise in both directions.