Meteor Shower Calendar

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meteor showers 2026 moon phase

2026 meteor showers and the Moon phase at each peak

In 2026 the Perseids, Draconids, Taurids and Geminids arrive under a weak Moon, while the Quadrantids, Eta Aquariids, Southern Delta Aquariids, Orionids and Ursids face a strong one. This page collects the Moon's illumination at each of the year's 12 peaks and what that does to your choice of night.

Why the Moon decides how good a shower is

A Moon above 60% illumination lights the sky enough to wipe out nearly all faint meteors, which are the majority. That is why the tool labels the Moon at the peak as weak (up to 30%), moderate (30% to 60%) or strong (above that). Those bands are this site's rules of thumb; the IMO describes the same effect in words. For 2026 the IMO writes that the Quadrantid peak falls at Full Moon, that the Perseid and Geminid peaks come on Moon-free nights, and that the Eta Aquariids and Ursids also suffer from it, and the tool's calculation agrees in all five cases.
The 2026 list in chronological order, with the Moon's illumination at the predicted peak: Quadrantids, January 3, 99.6%; Lyrids, April 22, 36%; Eta Aquariids, May 6, 81%; Southern Delta Aquariids, July 31, 96%; Perseids, August 13, 0.2%; Draconids, October 9, 3%; Orionids, October 21, 79%; Southern Taurids, November 5, 12%; Northern Taurids, November 12, 11%; Leonids, November 17, 55%; Geminids, December 14, 25%; and Ursids, December 22, 98%. The second-half package stands out: Perseids, Draconids, Taurids and Geminids under a weak Moon.
The percentage at the peak is only the start, which is why the IMO considers the Lyrids, Orionids and Leonids little disturbed by the Moon in 2026, despite 36%, 79% and 55%. An 80% waning Moon rises late and leaves the early part of the night dark; an 80% waxing Moon sets late and gives a clean pre-dawn. Once you pick a city, the tool marks the minutes when the Moon is below the horizon with the Sun 18 degrees or more below it, and that window is what decides. The 2026 Draconids have a dark sky, but the IMO lists an uncertain ZHR of 5 and predicts no enhanced activity; the parent comet, 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, passed perihelion on March 25, 2025.

The Moon at each 2026 peak

Quadrantids

Input: 03/01/2026 21:24 UT
Expected output: 99,6% (cheia)

Full Moon on January 3 at 10:03 UT: a washed-out night.

Perseids

Input: 13/08/2026 02:09 UT
Expected output: 0,2% (nova)

The best sky of the year among the strong showers.

Draconids

Input: 09/10/2026 01:21 UT
Expected output: 2,9% (nova)

Dark sky, ZHR 5 and uncertain.

Leonids

Input: 17/11/2026 23:52 UT
Expected output: 55% (quarto crescente)

Moderate: a first-quarter Moon sets near midnight.

Geminids

Input: 14/12/2026 13:49 UT
Expected output: 25% (crescente)

A weak Moon for the strongest shower of the year.

Ursids

Input: 22/12/2026 22:17 UT
Expected output: 97,9% (cheia)

Full Moon is on December 24 at 01:28 UT.

Full tool FAQ

What is the next meteor shower?

The top of the tool always shows the next one. In the 2026 calendar, after November 2 come the Southern Taurids (November 5) and Northern Taurids (November 12), the Leonids (November 17 at 23:52 UT, with the Moon at 55%), the Geminids (December 14 at 13:49 UT), the Ursids (December 22 at 22:17 UT) and, in 2027, the Quadrantids (January 4 at 03:34 UT).

What is the best meteor shower of the year?

What is ZHR and why do I see fewer meteors than the number?

How does the Moon interfere and how does the tool judge it?

Can the Perseids be seen from Brazil?

The peak is in UT. How do I convert it to my time zone?

Does the peak date change every year?

Do I need binoculars or a telescope?

Why do some sources say ZHR 120 for the Geminids and others 150?

Does the tool send my city to a server?

Frequently asked questions

Which 2026 shower is best because of the Moon?

The Perseids, with the Moon at 0.2%, and the Geminids, at 25%, both with a high ZHR. If your latitude allows it (the Perseids need a high radiant), they are the year's two best bets.

Is it worth watching a shower under a full Moon?

Only the brightest meteors show up. If the shower is strong, like the Quadrantids, a few bright ones can still be seen, but the ideal is to find the stretch of night when the Moon is below the horizon, which the tool marks by city.

Is the calendar's Moon the same everywhere?

The illumination at the instant of the peak is the same for the whole planet (a geocentric calculation). What changes from city to city is when the Moon rises and sets, and that is what the night analysis accounts for.

Next steps

2026 meteor showers and the Moon phase at each peak

Why the Moon decides how good a shower is

A Moon above 60% illumination lights the sky enough to wipe out nearly all faint meteors, which are the majority. That is why the tool labels the Moon at the peak as weak (up to 30%), moderate (30% to 60%) or strong (above that). Those bands are this site's rules of thumb; the IMO describes the same effect in words. For 2026 the IMO writes that the Quadrantid peak falls at Full Moon, that the Perseid and Geminid peaks come on Moon-free nights, and that the Eta Aquariids and Ursids also suffer from it, and the tool's calculation agrees in all five cases.

The 2026 list in chronological order, with the Moon's illumination at the predicted peak: Quadrantids, January 3, 99.6%; Lyrids, April 22, 36%; Eta Aquariids, May 6, 81%; Southern Delta Aquariids, July 31, 96%; Perseids, August 13, 0.2%; Draconids, October 9, 3%; Orionids, October 21, 79%; Southern Taurids, November 5, 12%; Northern Taurids, November 12, 11%; Leonids, November 17, 55%; Geminids, December 14, 25%; and Ursids, December 22, 98%. The second-half package stands out: Perseids, Draconids, Taurids and Geminids under a weak Moon.

The percentage at the peak is only the start, which is why the IMO considers the Lyrids, Orionids and Leonids little disturbed by the Moon in 2026, despite 36%, 79% and 55%. An 80% waning Moon rises late and leaves the early part of the night dark; an 80% waxing Moon sets late and gives a clean pre-dawn. Once you pick a city, the tool marks the minutes when the Moon is below the horizon with the Sun 18 degrees or more below it, and that window is what decides. The 2026 Draconids have a dark sky, but the IMO lists an uncertain ZHR of 5 and predicts no enhanced activity; the parent comet, 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, passed perihelion on March 25, 2025.

The Moon at each 2026 peak

Quadrantids

Input: 03/01/2026 21:24 UT
Expected output: 99,6% (cheia)

Full Moon on January 3 at 10:03 UT: a washed-out night.

Perseids

Input: 13/08/2026 02:09 UT
Expected output: 0,2% (nova)

The best sky of the year among the strong showers.

Draconids

Input: 09/10/2026 01:21 UT
Expected output: 2,9% (nova)

Dark sky, ZHR 5 and uncertain.

Leonids

Input: 17/11/2026 23:52 UT
Expected output: 55% (quarto crescente)

Moderate: a first-quarter Moon sets near midnight.

Geminids

Input: 14/12/2026 13:49 UT
Expected output: 25% (crescente)

A weak Moon for the strongest shower of the year.

Ursids

Input: 22/12/2026 22:17 UT
Expected output: 97,9% (cheia)

Full Moon is on December 24 at 01:28 UT.

Full tool FAQ

What is the next meteor shower?

What is the best meteor shower of the year?

What is ZHR and why do I see fewer meteors than the number?

How does the Moon interfere and how does the tool judge it?

Can the Perseids be seen from Brazil?

The peak is in UT. How do I convert it to my time zone?

Does the peak date change every year?

Do I need binoculars or a telescope?

Why do some sources say ZHR 120 for the Geminids and others 150?

Does the tool send my city to a server?

Frequently asked questions

Which 2026 shower is best because of the Moon?

The Perseids, with the Moon at 0.2%, and the Geminids, at 25%, both with a high ZHR. If your latitude allows it (the Perseids need a high radiant), they are the year's two best bets.