The Meteor Shower 2026-2027 Calendar

The next meteor shower is the Orionids, which peak on the night of October 21-22, 2026. The strongest shower left in 2026 is usually the Geminids, on the night of December 13-14, and the Quadrantids open 2027 on the night of January 3-4.

Upcoming Meteor Shower Peaks for 2026 and 2027

The table lists the peak night for each shower, with the moon and timing details that affect your plan.

Peak dates are from the American Meteor Society (AMS) calendar and other viewing calendars.

Published calendars do not always agree on the night. The AMS puts the Leonid peak on November 16-17, while another calendar lists the following night. When dates differ like this, plan to watch both nights, or book travel that covers both.

As of mid-October 2026, the Orionids are about a week away. The Geminids are about two months out.

The Lyrids are active from April 14 to April 30, 2027, a span of 17 days, with the peak on the night of April 21-22. If a spring trip misses the peak night, you are still inside the active window for most of the second half of April.

The Geminids in December 2026

The Geminids are the strongest bet on this calendar, because the AMS describes them as usually the strongest shower of the year. The AMS also calls them the one major shower with good activity before midnight. That changes how you plan the night: you can start watching in the evening instead of setting an alarm for the small hours.

Published estimates of the Geminid hourly rate differ widely from one source to the next, so do not plan around a single number. Plan around the date and the darkness of your site, which are the two parts of the night you control.

Who Should Pick a Different Shower

The Geminids are the wrong target if you cannot travel in mid-December. Summer travelers should aim for the Perseids, which peak on the night of August 12-13, 2027. Spring travelers have two options: the Lyrids in late April and the Eta Aquariids on the night of May 5-6, 2027.

The Quadrantids could outdo the Geminids. The AMS says they have the potential to be the strongest shower of the year, but their maximum lasts only about 6 hours, and the 2027 timing favors Europe and western Asia.

What Would Change This Pick

If clouds cover your site on the Geminid peak, the Quadrantids on the night of January 3-4, 2027 are the next peak on the calendar, though their timing favors Europe and western Asia. A revised Geminid date would also change the plan, so look at the AMS meteor shower calendar in the week before you travel.

How to Watch a Meteor Shower

To watch a meteor shower, pick the peak night and get as far from artificial light as you can.

1. Choose a peak night and a backup. Use the table above, and add the second night wherever calendars disagree.
2. Pick a dark site. Drive away from town lights and streetlights. The Bortle scale guide explains how to compare one site with another.
3. Bring something to lie on.
4. Dress for the hours after dark. Pack layers, a hat and gloves, even if the afternoon felt warm.
5. Put the phone away. Keep the screen off, or dimmed to its lowest setting.
6. Scan a wide patch of sky. Look at a broad stretch of sky rather than staring at one point.

Timing the Watch

The best hour depends on the shower. For the Geminids, start in the evening and stay out past midnight if you can.

The Quadrantid peak near 3:30 UT on January 4 lands on the evening of January 3 in North America. Subtract 5 hours for Eastern Standard Time and you get 10:30 pm. Subtract 7 hours for Mountain Standard Time (MST) and you get 8:30 pm. The AMS says the 2027 timing favors Europe and western Asia. For the remaining showers, use the AMS calendar for timing on each peak night.

Moonlight on Peak Nights

Moon data on this calendar covers two peaks: the Leonids, under a moon about 45% illuminated, and the Quadrantids, under a waning crescent. On those nights, sit so the moon is behind you. A tree, a ridge or a building can also block it from your line of sight.

Keep your eyes on the darkest part of the sky, away from the side where the moon hangs. For the Leonids, watch both November nights, and spend more of your time on whichever one has the moon lower when you go out.

If the moon is up during your watch for any shower on this calendar, the same blocking trick applies. Pair a moonlit peak with the darkest location you can reach.

Dark Sky Parks and Other Places to Watch

A dark sky park or a rural site far from town lights is the place to watch any shower on this calendar. The guide to dark sky parks in the US lists designated sites. For one Utah park in detail, the Bryce Canyon stargazing guide covers night viewing there.

At Dark Light Collection, we are building glass pyramids on private land about 15 minutes from Bryce Canyon National Park and within 15 minutes of Glacier National Park's West Entrance. Each pyramid is designed with a king bed positioned for sky-gazing, a private deck with heated loungers and a fire pit, and a personal deck telescope. On a shower night, you could watch from the deck or from bed under triple-pane glass. Read why we build under dark skies for the thinking behind both locations.

The pyramids open in 2027. For any peak before then, plan around a dark sky park.