Ursids meteor shower 2026 in Chicago
Peak night, up to 10 meteors an hour under a dark sky. A bright Moon (94%) washes out faint meteors; only the brightest will show.
Local time in Chicago
Night of 21 December to 22 December 2026
Dark sky that night
from 17:30 to 06:05
The Moon
94% lit — bright moonlight will hide the faint meteors
Chance of a clear sky
In December, Chicago gets on average 12.1 clear nights out of 31 — about 39%. Clear night statistics for Chicago
How to see it
Best time for meteors: after midnight until dawn, when the radiant is high. Look about halfway up the sky, away from city lights. Go somewhere dark any time of the night (best around 2 am), 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. A bright Moon (94%) washes out faint meteors; only the brightest will show.
Cloud forecast for this night in Chicago