Cosmic Scale
Meteor showers in 2026 and 2027
When the big meteor showers peak, how many meteors an hour they can bring under a dark sky, and how bright the Moon will be that night (a bright Moon hides the fainter ones).
Cosmic Scale works these out on your phone from real orbits, tells you whether you can see each eclipse from where you are, and can remind you the evening before.
Coming up
Leonid meteor shower
17 November 2026, peak 14:52 UTC · Up to 15 meteors an hour, Moon 51% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 55P/Tempel–Tuttle. At best you would see 15 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 51% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Geminid meteor shower
14 December 2026, peak 04:52 UTC · Up to 150 meteors an hour, Moon 22% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 3200 Phaethon. At best you would see 150 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is only 22% lit at the peak, so the sky stays dark.
Ursid meteor shower
22 December 2026, peak 13:20 UTC · Up to 10 meteors an hour, Moon 97% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 8P/Tuttle. At best you would see 10 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 97% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Quadrantid meteor shower
3 January 2027, peak 18:37 UTC · Up to 80 meteors an hour, Moon 14% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. At best you would see 80 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is only 14% lit at the peak, so the sky stays dark.
Lyrid meteor shower
22 April 2027, peak 16:21 UTC · Up to 18 meteors an hour, Moon 97% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). At best you would see 18 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 97% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Eta Aquariid meteor shower
6 May 2027, peak 05:47 UTC · Up to 50 meteors an hour, Moon 0% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 1P/Halley. At best you would see 50 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is only 0% lit at the peak, so the sky stays dark.
Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower
31 July 2027, peak 09:59 UTC · Up to 25 meteors an hour, Moon 6% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. At best you would see 25 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is only 6% lit at the peak, so the sky stays dark.
Perseid meteor shower
12 August 2027, peak 22:34 UTC · Up to 100 meteors an hour, Moon 84% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 109P/Swift–Tuttle. At best you would see 100 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 84% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Orionid meteor shower
21 October 2027, peak 15:18 UTC · Up to 20 meteors an hour, Moon 62% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 1P/Halley. At best you would see 20 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 62% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Leonid meteor shower
17 November 2027, peak 20:46 UTC · Up to 15 meteors an hour, Moon 83% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 55P/Tempel–Tuttle. At best you would see 15 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 83% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Geminid meteor shower
14 December 2027, peak 10:43 UTC · Up to 150 meteors an hour, Moon 99% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 3200 Phaethon. At best you would see 150 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 99% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Ursid meteor shower
22 December 2027, peak 19:11 UTC · Up to 10 meteors an hour, Moon 25% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 8P/Tuttle. At best you would see 10 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is only 25% lit at the peak, so the sky stays dark.
Earlier
Quadrantid meteor shower
3 January 2026, peak 12:48 UTC · Up to 80 meteors an hour, Moon 100% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. At best you would see 80 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 100% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Lyrid meteor shower
22 April 2026, peak 10:41 UTC · Up to 18 meteors an hour, Moon 32% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). At best you would see 18 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is only 32% lit at the peak, so the sky stays dark.
Eta Aquariid meteor shower
6 May 2026, peak 00:12 UTC · Up to 50 meteors an hour, Moon 84% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 1P/Halley. At best you would see 50 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 84% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Southern Delta Aquariid meteor shower
31 July 2026, peak 04:12 UTC · Up to 25 meteors an hour, Moon 98% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. At best you would see 25 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 98% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.
Perseid meteor shower
12 August 2026, peak 16:47 UTC · Up to 100 meteors an hour, Moon 0% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 109P/Swift–Tuttle. At best you would see 100 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is only 0% lit at the peak, so the sky stays dark.
Orionid meteor shower
21 October 2026, peak 09:22 UTC · Up to 20 meteors an hour, Moon 75% lit
Meteors are specks of dust, mostly smaller than a grain of sand, burning up high in the air as Earth crosses a trail left by a comet or an asteroid. This trail comes from 1P/Halley. At best you would see 20 meteors an hour, under a perfectly dark sky with the shower overhead (its ZHR). Expect fewer. The Moon is 75% lit at the peak and will wash out the fainter meteors.