Sun & Moon / Meteors
Meteor Shower Calendar: Peak Dates, Moon, and Best Times
Every major meteor shower of the year, from the Quadrantids to the Geminids: its active dates, the time of its peak in your time zone, how many meteors to expect, how much moonlight there will be, and, for your location, the best hour to watch and the rate you can expect.
Meteor Shower Calendar: Peak Dates, Moon, and Best Times: Each shower peaks when the Earth reaches the same point in its orbit every year, measured as the Sun's longitude. The International Meteor Organization's working list gives that longitude for each shower; this page computes when the Sun gets there in the year you choose, how much of the Moon is lit at that moment, and, at your location, when the shower's radiant is highest while the sky is dark. Expected rates are the zenithal hourly rate times the sine of the radiant's altitude. Runs 100% locally in your browser with zero server file uploads.
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- Time & calendar tools
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- Ready to use
Runs entirely in your browser
Times are in your device's time zone.
Add your location for the best viewing time
| Shower | Active | Peak | Rate at peak (ZHR) | Moon |
|---|
Peaks are computed from the solar longitudes in the International Meteor Organization's working list, so they are as good as the list: most showers are worth watching for a night or two either side. ZHR is the rate under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead; real counts are usually much lower.
Zenithal hourly rate
ZHR is the number of meteors one observer would see in an hour with the radiant overhead under a sky where stars of magnitude 6.5 are visible. Real counts are lower: a radiant 30° up halves it, and light pollution and moonlight cut it further.
Source
Shower data is from the International Meteor Organization's 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar, Working List of Visual Meteor Showers.
How to use it
- Choose the year.
- Add your location for viewing times, or skip it.
- Note the peak nights with little moonlight and plan to watch after midnight.
Privacy & limitations
Your location is used in your browser and saved only on this device.
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Frequently asked questions
Which shower is the best?
The Geminids in mid-December and the Perseids in mid-August are usually the richest, with up to 100 to 150 meteors an hour under ideal skies. The Quadrantids are as strong but peak for only a few hours.
What time should I watch?
After midnight and before dawn, when your side of the Earth faces forward along its orbit and the radiant is higher. With your location set, the table shows the best hour.
Do I need a telescope?
No: meteors cover the whole sky. Lie back somewhere dark, away from lights, let your eyes adapt for 20 minutes, and look about halfway up the sky.
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