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perseids 2026 peak time

Perseids 2026: when to watch, the peak time and the Moon

The 2026 Perseids are predicted to peak at 02:09 UT on August 13, which is 11:09 p.m. on August 12 in Brasília and 3:09 a.m. on August 13 in Lisbon, with a new Moon. Here is what that changes depending on your city.

What the IMO calendar says about the 2026 Perseids

The IMO 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar lists the Perseids as active from July 17 to August 24, with the radiant in Perseus (right ascension 48 degrees, declination +58), meteors at 59 km/s and a ZHR of 100. The maximum is given as August 13 between 02h and 04h UT, when the Sun crosses solar longitudes 140.0 to 140.1. The tool turns longitude 140.0 into 02:09 UT; the 140.1 limit falls at 04:39 UT. The IMO itself notes that the traditional maximum has ranged from 139.8 to 140.3, which in 2026 spans 9 p.m. on August 12 to 9 a.m. on August 13 UT, so it pays to watch the whole night and the two neighboring ones.
The Moon is the year's big advantage. New Moon falls on August 12 at 17:37 UT, so at the peak it is 0.2% illuminated and the sky stays dark all night. Compare 2027: the predicted peak is August 13 at 08:19 UT, with the Moon at 87%, waxing gibbous. The IMO also warns that Maslov's modeling points to background activity below the usually quoted ZHR of 100 until 2026, and that only in 2027 does the Earth cross sections of the stream disturbed by Jupiter, which may raise rates again.
What decides it is latitude. With the radiant 58 degrees north, the farther south you are, the lower it sits. In our 2026 analysis the radiant tops out at about 8 degrees in São Paulo and about 1.5 in Porto Alegre, and the usable window (full darkness, Moon below the horizon, radiant at 10 degrees or more) is zero. Brasília reaches about 15.5 degrees and leaves 1h50 of usable time, Recife 23 degrees and about 3h, Manaus 27 degrees and 3h20. In Lisbon the radiant climbs to about 60 degrees and the window exceeds six hours.

Perseids 2026 as computed by the tool

Predicted peak

Input: Perseidas 2026, longitude solar 140,0
Expected output: 13/08/2026 02:09 UT

Longitude 140.1 would give 04:39 UT, the end of the IMO range.

Peak in Brasília time

Input: 02:09 UT, UTC-3
Expected output: 12/08 23:09

In Lisbon and London (UTC+1 in summer) it is 03:09 on August 13.

Moon at the peak

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

New Moon on 12/08 at 17:37 UT; in 2027 the peak has the Moon at 87%.

São Paulo

Input: São Paulo, as duas noites ao redor do pico
Expected output: radiante até 8°, janela útil 0 min

Verdict: no usable window, the radiant stays too low.

Recife

Input: Recife, noite de 12 para 13 de agosto
Expected output: radiante até 23°, 3h00 úteis

Best window 01:24 to 04:24, Moon at 0%.

Lisbon

Input: Lisboa, noite de 12 para 13 de agosto
Expected output: radiante até 60°, 6h50 úteis

Window from 22:21 to 05:11, the entire dark night.

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

What time is the Perseid peak in 2026?

The predicted peak is at 02:09 UT on August 13, 2026. In Brazil (UTC-3) that is 11:09 p.m. on August 12. The IMO gives a range of 02h to 04h UT, and strong activity lasts for hours either side.

Can the Perseids be seen from São Paulo?

You may catch a meteor or two, but the radiant never gets above about 8 degrees, so rates fall far below the ZHR. In the Brazilian Northeast and North, where the radiant climbs to 23 and 27 degrees, watching pays off much more.

Does the Moon interfere with the 2026 Perseids?

No. The August 12 new Moon leaves the sky dark during the peak, at 0.2% illumination. That is the opposite of 2027, when the Moon will be at 87% at the maximum.

Next steps

What the IMO calendar says about the 2026 Perseids

The IMO 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar lists the Perseids as active from July 17 to August 24, with the radiant in Perseus (right ascension 48 degrees, declination +58), meteors at 59 km/s and a ZHR of 100. The maximum is given as August 13 between 02h and 04h UT, when the Sun crosses solar longitudes 140.0 to 140.1. The tool turns longitude 140.0 into 02:09 UT; the 140.1 limit falls at 04:39 UT. The IMO itself notes that the traditional maximum has ranged from 139.8 to 140.3, which in 2026 spans 9 p.m. on August 12 to 9 a.m. on August 13 UT, so it pays to watch the whole night and the two neighboring ones.

The Moon is the year's big advantage. New Moon falls on August 12 at 17:37 UT, so at the peak it is 0.2% illuminated and the sky stays dark all night. Compare 2027: the predicted peak is August 13 at 08:19 UT, with the Moon at 87%, waxing gibbous. The IMO also warns that Maslov's modeling points to background activity below the usually quoted ZHR of 100 until 2026, and that only in 2027 does the Earth cross sections of the stream disturbed by Jupiter, which may raise rates again.

What decides it is latitude. With the radiant 58 degrees north, the farther south you are, the lower it sits. In our 2026 analysis the radiant tops out at about 8 degrees in São Paulo and about 1.5 in Porto Alegre, and the usable window (full darkness, Moon below the horizon, radiant at 10 degrees or more) is zero. Brasília reaches about 15.5 degrees and leaves 1h50 of usable time, Recife 23 degrees and about 3h, Manaus 27 degrees and 3h20. In Lisbon the radiant climbs to about 60 degrees and the window exceeds six hours.

Perseids 2026 as computed by the tool

Predicted peak

Input: Perseidas 2026, longitude solar 140,0
Expected output: 13/08/2026 02:09 UT

Longitude 140.1 would give 04:39 UT, the end of the IMO range.

Peak in Brasília time

Input: 02:09 UT, UTC-3
Expected output: 12/08 23:09

In Lisbon and London (UTC+1 in summer) it is 03:09 on August 13.

Moon at the peak

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

New Moon on 12/08 at 17:37 UT; in 2027 the peak has the Moon at 87%.

São Paulo

Input: São Paulo, as duas noites ao redor do pico
Expected output: radiante até 8°, janela útil 0 min

Verdict: no usable window, the radiant stays too low.

Recife

Input: Recife, noite de 12 para 13 de agosto
Expected output: radiante até 23°, 3h00 úteis

Best window 01:24 to 04:24, Moon at 0%.

Lisbon

Input: Lisboa, noite de 12 para 13 de agosto
Expected output: radiante até 60°, 6h50 úteis

Window from 22:21 to 05:11, the entire dark night.

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

What time is the Perseid peak in 2026?

The predicted peak is at 02:09 UT on August 13, 2026. In Brazil (UTC-3) that is 11:09 p.m. on August 12. The IMO gives a range of 02h to 04h UT, and strong activity lasts for hours either side.

Can the Perseids be seen from São Paulo?

Does the Moon interfere with the 2026 Perseids?

No. The August 12 new Moon leaves the sky dark during the peak, at 0.2% illumination. That is the opposite of 2027, when the Moon will be at 87% at the maximum.