Meteor Showers in 2026: A Complete Stargazing Guide

Despite a high zenith hourly rate, the Quadrantids are not an easy shower to observe at the best of times. The maximum only lasts a few hours, and many of the meteors are on the faint side. In 2026, the situation is made worse by the shower peaking during daylight hours, with a full Moon arriving roughly 12 hours earlier.

If you’d like to try your luck, get as far away from city lights as you can, and aim to be outside at around two and a half hours before sunrise on the morning of the 3^rd. The Moon will be low in the west, the radiant will be roughly 50 degrees above the east-northeastern horizon, and the sky should still be dark. Look towards the northeast or east, and you may catch a meteor or two, with the best ones arriving as quick, sharp streaks.

The Alpha Centaurids are tricky for most of North America. The shower is best seen from farther south, and from mid-northern latitudes, the radiant never actually rises. However, this is a shower that can occasionally toss out a brighter meteor, so if you’re outside in early February anyway, it’s worth keeping a watchful eye out.

The best window is roughly three hours before sunrise, when the sky should still be dark, and the radiant is closest to (albeit below) the horizon. The Moon is near last quarter and low in the southeast, which isn’t ideal, as that’s also the general area of the sky you’ll want to be watching. Look between the horizon and roughly 45 degrees up, and spread your attention between the southeast, south, and southwest. Don’t expect a flurry, but rather hope for a small handful of brighter, medium-speed streaks instead.

What older guides sometimes called the Virginids is often grouped today under the antihelion source - a broad, weak region of meteor activity rather than a single, distinct shower. The name is derived from the radiant’s position, roughly opposite the Sun along the ecliptic, which makes it well placed in the March evening sky. Realistically, the rates are minimal, typically only a few meteors per hour, making this better suited to meteor aficionados than the casual observer.

For your best chances, watch from late evening into the pre-dawn hours, when the antihelion region is higher, and the sky is darker. Since this is a broad source rather than a tight radiant, don’t worry too much about staring towards a particular area - just focus on the side of the sky opposite the Sun’s position below the horizon, and scan patiently for occasional shooting stars.

The Lyrids are the best meteor shower of spring - reliable, fairly easy to catch, and often brighter than people expect. In 2026, things are complicated by the shower reaching maximum during daylight hours for much of North America, so your best bet is to watch on the morning of the 22^nd, when you’re closest to the peak and activity should still be strong. The Moon’s light won’t be a problem as it’s only a waxing crescent and will set before the prime pre-dawn window.

The radiant rises around midnight and is in better shape from about 1AM onward, once it’s higher and you’re looking through less atmosphere. The later you observe, the better. Keep your eyes peeled towards the north-northeast through the east-southeast. You can expect quick, bright meteors, an occasional fireball, and sometimes a hint of color (white, with possible orange, blue, or green flashes).

This year, the eta Aquariids reach their maximum on May 6^th, and with the Moon a waning gibbous, many of the fainter meteors will get washed out. Still, the shower is known for bright, fast meteors, so if you have dark skies, it’s worth a shot. If you want to try in the evening, step outside on the 5^th and watch the eastern sky - you may catch an occasional early meteor, even with the radiant below the horizon.

If you’d rather wait until the radiant is above the horizon, the pre-dawn hours of the 6^th are your best bet, even though the Moon will be towards the southeast and bright. Look away from the Moon’s glare and focus your attention more towards the northeast. Expect quick, bright streaks, sometimes with a short-lived train, usually white and with the occasional hint of green or blue.

The June Boötids reach their maximum at 9 PM ET on the 21^st, which is a convenient time in the evening. However, being June, many locations won’t see a fully dark sky until close to 11PM. On the plus side, the radiant will be well placed in the evening sky, and with the Moon at first quarter and low in the west-southwest, it shouldn’t cause too much of a problem.

Regardless of your location, sometime between 11PM on the 21^st and roughly 3AM on the 22^nd is your best window of opportunity. The Moon sets around midnight, leaving darker skies and the radiant high for the rest of the session. Scan a wide patch from the northwest through the west and down toward the southwest. The shower is famously unpredictable - on a typical year, you might only catch a handful per hour, with occasional brighter streaks, sometimes with a warm yellow or orange tint. Fireballs aren’t common, but a surprise or two is always possible.

The Southern delta Aquariids are unusual in that they tend to remain steadily active for a few days around the predicted maximum, and are capable of producing a steady stream of shooting stars under dark skies. This year, the full Moon is a significant drawback, as it will be visible throughout the night and may wash out many of the fainter meteors.

Your best chance comes from around midnight and into the pre-dawn hours, once the radiant has cleared the southeastern horizon and twilight is still some way off. Scan a wide patch of sky from the southeast, across the south, and over toward the southwest. Expect mostly faint, quick-to-medium streaks, usually white and sometimes with a hint of yellow. While fireballs aren’t common, a surprise is always possible.

Arguably the most famous meteor shower of them all, under ideal conditions the Perseids can produce around 100 shooting stars an hour - and this year they may be close to their best. The Moon is new on the 12^th and won’t brighten the sky, giving you a chance to catch even the faintest meteors from dark locations.

The shower reaches its maximum on the evening of the 12^th, and while the radiant will be below the horizon, there’s still a decent chance of seeing a meteor or two. Perseus rises around midnight in the northeast, with the radiant clearing the thicker air near the horizon at around 1AM. From then until roughly two hours before sunrise is prime time, as the radiant climbs higher and more meteors become visible. Look towards the east and north, and roughly halfway between the horizon and the zenith. You can expect fast, bright streaks, frequent glowing trains, and a real chance of a fireball, sometimes with a hint of green, blue, or yellow.

A relatively weak shower, this year the September epsilon Perseids are a mixed bag. A plus is that the Moon is new, but the timing is off, as the maximum occurs at 2PM ET (11AM PT). With that in mind, it’s best to step outside during the predawn hours of the 9^th, when the sky is still dark, and the radiant has risen high enough for at least a few shooting stars to be seen.

As the name implies, the radiant lies close to Epsilon Persei and just a few degrees west of Algol, the famous variable star. Like the Perseids, the best window is from around midnight until roughly two hours before dawn, when the radiant is higher in the east-northeast, and you’re looking through less atmosphere. Don’t expect big numbers - in a typical year you might only catch a few per hour. The meteors are also swift, so you’ll need to stay alert and on the lookout for the occasional brighter streak.

The Moon is against us this year for the Orionids, as it will be a waxing gibbous, drowning out a lot of the fainter meteors. On the plus side, Orionids are known for bright streaks and can occasionally produce a genuine fireball, with some meteors leaving glowing trains that hang around for a few seconds. They’re fast too - about 41 miles per second (66 km/s) - so blink and you might miss ’em.

The radiant sits near the feet of Gemini, close to Alhena, and rises in the east before midnight. It’s better placed by around 1:30AM, but your best odds come after the Moon sets around 2AM, leaving a few darker hours before twilight. Look towards the northeast and southeast, and expect quick, bright streaks, usually white, with the occasional hint of color in the brighter ones.

Another shower where the timing is off, the Leonids peak close to 8PM ET (5PM PT) on the 17^th, and with a first quarter Moon in the evening sky, your best bet is to wait until the early hours of the 18^th. If you do step out before dawn, you’ll also be treated to a rare sight - Mars and Jupiter huddled very close together in Leo, with Regulus nearby.

The radiant lies in the backwards question-mark of Leo’s head, very close to Adhafera. It rises around midnight, with the best chances occurring between 2AM and 5AM, once the radiant is higher. Scan the northeast and southeast, letting your eyes roam. At 44 miles per second (71 km/s), the Leonids are the fastest of the major annual showers, so they tend to appear as quick, sharp streaks.

Many consider the Geminids to be the best and most reliable major meteor shower of the year, and 2026 promises a good show. They peak on the night of December 13^th/14th, when the Moon is only a thin waxing crescent and won’t be brightening the sky. If you’re under dark skies, it’s realistic to hope for dozens per hour during the darker hours, with the brightest being quite memorable.

The Geminids are also family-friendly, as the radiant rises early - around 7PM above the east-northeastern horizon - and is sufficiently high by about 9PM. The radiant lies just under a degree east of Pollux, but scan a wide area from the northeast through the southeast. You’ll find rates improving later, as Gemini climbs higher and you’re looking through less atmosphere. Geminids are often white or slightly yellowish, with a decent chance of a fireball, and at about 22 miles per second (35 km/s), they’re slow enough to track more easily.

December also includes a small holiday bonus: the Ursids follow on December 21^st/22^nd. However, in 2026, the Moon is close to full, so expect heavily moonlit skies and lower odds. It’s a modest shower, typically topping out at around 10 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, and most of the meteors are on the faint side, though an occasional brighter streak is possible. The radiant sits in Ursa Minor near Kochab and stays above the northern horizon for most of North America, so it makes sense to keep your attention toward the northwest and northeast.