Leonids meteor shower 2026
Peak night, up to 15 meteors an hour under a dark sky. The Moon (46%) gets in the way for part of the night — watch after it sets.
When
What it is
The Leonids are dust from 55P/Tempel–Tuttle. Each year the Earth crosses this stream and the grains burn up 80–100 km above us at 71 km/s. The meteors seem to fly out of Leo, so the shower is named after it.
How to see it
Go somewhere dark after midnight, lie back and look at the whole sky, not at the radiant. Give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt and don’t look at your phone. The Moon (46%) gets in the way for part of the night — watch after it sets.
Check the clouds for that night
See it for your city
See also
The Moon meets Mars, 2 November 2026
The Moon passes 1° from Mars — a pretty pair for the naked eye and the camera.
The Moon meets Jupiter, 2 November 2026
The Moon passes 0.5° from Jupiter — a pretty pair for the naked eye and the camera.
The Moon meets Venus, 7 November 2026
The Moon passes 1° from Venus — a pretty pair for the naked eye and the camera.
Jupiter and Mars in conjunction, 16 November 2026
Jupiter and Mars are just 1.2° apart — they fit in one binocular view.
Leonids meteor shower 2027
Peak night, up to 15 meteors an hour under a dark sky. A bright Moon (89%) washes out faint meteors; only the brightest will show.