OBSERVING GUIDE · UPDATED 2026-10-31
2026 Meteor Shower Calendar: October–December
Plan seven selected October–December meteor showers: Orionids, Southern and Northern Taurids, Leonids, Geminids, plus Draconids and Ursids. The Geminids are a strong annual display; Taurids and Ursids are lower-activity alternatives, not promised meteor storms. The October 9 Draconid peak has already passed. Use the dated windows below with local moonset, darkness and cloud forecasts.
Next listed meteor-shower window
Northern Taurids · –
Peak windows within the next 14 days
- Northern Taurids · –
- Leonids · –
This window's dates rechecked: · AMS · IMO 2026
Jump to the reviewed 2027 reference calendar
Date basis (UTC): · Review due: 2026-11-13
These are published observing dates, not a live meteor count or an exact global peak hour. Match local moonset, darkness and clouds before choosing a night.
Passed windows leave this panel automatically; the full calendar and historical guides remain available. A passed peak does not mean all shower activity has ended.
Check tonight & the next 7 nights →Seven autumn and winter showers in 2026
These are source-listed dates and watch windows, not a live meteor-count forecast or a complete annual calendar. All dates are in 2026. No precise global peak hour is asserted; a local night can straddle two dates.
Swipe or scroll the table sideways to see all seven columns.
| Shower | Active dates | Peak / watch nights | Moonlight | Hemisphere | When to look locally | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draconids | Oct 6–10 | Oct 9 — peak passed | Near New Moon; little lunar glare | Mainly Northern Hemisphere | Early evening, while Draco is higher | Check local sky |
| Orionids | Oct 2–Nov 7 | Oct 21–22 (AMS / NASA) | Waxing gibbous; wait for local moonset | Both hemispheres | After midnight toward dawn, after moonset | Orionids guide |
| Southern Taurids | Sep 20–Nov 20 (AMS) | Oct 14 and Nov 4–5 (AMS); see note | November window has a waning crescent | Both hemispheres | Around local midnight; a broad, sparse display | Check local sky |
| Northern Taurids | Oct 20–Dec 10 | Nov 11–12 (AMS) | Thin waxing crescent; darker after moonset | Both; radiant higher in the north | Around local midnight | Check local sky |
| Leonids | Nov 6–30 | Nov 16–18 — source dates differ | Waxing crescent to quarter; favor later hours | Both hemispheres | After midnight toward dawn, after moonset | Check local sky |
| Geminids | Dec 4–17 (AMS); to Dec 20 in RMG | Dec 13–14 | Waxing crescent; favorable after moonset | Both; radiant higher in the north | Late evening through the middle of the night | Geminids guide |
| Ursids | Dec 17–26 | Dec 21–22 (AMS); Dec 22 in RMG | Bright waxing gibbous; strong interference | Northern Hemisphere | Late night / before dawn; check moonset | Check local sky |
Turn the guide into a local observing plan
Compare tonight and the next seven nights in an existing city forecast. The sky score describes observing conditions, not a meteor count or a guarantee of seeing the Milky Way.
Search another cityEstimate Moon phase and twilightMoonrise and moonset (USNO) ↗
Plan your observing session
Which shower should I prioritize?
Start with the December 13–14 Geminids if you can find clear, safe, dark hours. Orionids and Leonids reward later-night planning after moonset. The Taurids are slower and sparse, with occasional bright meteors: a notable fireball is possible, but neither a swarm nor a high personal count is guaranteed in 2026.
Southern and Northern Taurids are separate streams
Do not combine their dates into a single exact peak. AMS describes Southern Taurid components around October 14 and November 5 and labels November 4–5 as its peak night; Greenwich instead lists October 10. Their broad activity overlaps the Northern Taurids, whose AMS peak night is November 11–12. Choose a clear night around midnight rather than travelling for an unsupported precise maximum.
Why do Leonid dates differ?
AMS and NASA label November 16–17 as the 2026 peak night; Greenwich lists November 18. We therefore show November 16–18 as a planning window, not three separate predicted peaks. No exact peak hour or storm is promised. Compare local darkness, moonset and the rising Leo radiant before choosing a night.
Draconids and Ursids: northern alternatives
Greenwich lists the Draconid maximum on October 9, already past at this October 10 review. Unlike most showers here, Draco favors early-evening viewing. The Ursids are a lower-activity northern shower in December and face bright moonlight this year. Southern observers should not assume an Ursid opportunity just because the calendar lists it.
Turn a calendar date into an observing plan
Use your city's own sunset, astronomical darkness, moonset and weather. Most Orionid and Leonid sessions improve toward dawn; Geminids can also be useful before midnight. Allow dark adaptation, use the unaided eye, avoid direct lights and confirm nighttime access. A published reference ZHR is not the number an individual observer should expect.
Dates, sources and limits
AMS, NASA and Greenwich comparisons retain their October 10 review dates. The IMO 2026 PDF was retrieved and its published observing dates checked on October 22, 2026. Activity ranges differ: AMS ends Geminids on December 17 while IMO and Greenwich extend them to December 20. This follow-up does not introduce exact model maximum times or numerical ZHR. Check local moonset, darkness and weather; past events remain historical references.
Earlier in 2026: Perseids
The Perseids ended August 24. Their existing guide is kept as a historical reference, not a recommendation for tonight.
Turn each radiant and Moon note into local hours
There is no honest single rise or moonset time for all readers. In a location-aware sky chart, set your exact observing date and time zone; find the named radiant, then compare its altitude with astronomical darkness and local Moon rise/set. Rise is a geometric boundary, not the best observing hour. Use this per-shower checklist with the dated table above.
| Shower | Rise / hemisphere strategy | Lunar window |
|---|---|---|
| Draconids | Draco: inspect the early-evening northern sky; may be circumpolar in the north | Near New Moon in 2026; still check local cloud and darkness |
| Orionids | Orion: later-night rise/high-altitude check, both hemispheres | 2026 gibbous Moon: use verified moonset-to-dawn overlap |
| Southern Taurids | Taurus: compare evening rise with midnight altitude in both hemispheres | November waning crescent: inspect moonrise as well as moonset |
| Northern Taurids | Taurus: higher from northern sites; do not assume the same low southern horizon | 2026 thin crescent: confirm local moonset after evening twilight |
| Leonids | Leo: confirm rise after midnight and altitude before dawn; both hemispheres | 2026 waxing Moon: prefer a verified moon-free late interval |
| Geminids | Gemini: evening visibility can help; southern observers need its higher middle-night hours | 2026 crescent: find local moonset, not a global clock time |
| Ursids | Ursa Minor: northern circumpolar geometry; poor or no southern rise | 2026 bright gibbous: a Moon-free interval is not assured |
2027 annual planning reference
| Month | Reference maximum dates (2027) |
|---|---|
| 01 | Quadrantids: 2027-01-04 |
| 02 | Alpha Centaurids: 2027-02-08 |
| 03 | No selected entry; not a claim of no meteor activity |
| 04 | April Lyrids: 2027-04-23 |
| 05 | Eta Aquariids: 2027-05-06 |
| 06 | June Bootids (variable): 2027-06-22 |
| 07 | Alpha Capricornids: 2027-07-31 · Southern Delta Aquariids: 2027-07-31 |
| 08 | Perseids: 2027-08-13 |
| 09 | No selected entry; not a claim of no meteor activity |
| 10 | Draconids: 2027-10-09 · Orionids: 2027-10-22 |
| 11 | Southern Taurids: 2027-11-06 · Northern Taurids: 2027-11-13 · Leonids: 2027-11-18 |
| 12 | Geminids: 2027-12-14 · Ursids: 2027-12-23 |
These are the 2027 PDF's reference maximum dates, not converted local watch nights. The PDF and rolling web calendar can differ (including the Lyrids); check the current source and adjacent local nights before travel. No ZHR, exact hour, local moonset or weather is inferred. The subscription feed still states its separate reviewed coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a telescope for meteor showers?
No. A wide unaided-eye view is normally best.
Are peak times exact?
No. Predictions can be revised and activity often spans a broad interval.
Can I watch from a city?
Bright meteors may remain visible, but dark locations reveal many more faint events.
Sources and accuracy note
AMS, NASA and Greenwich comparisons retain their October 10 review dates. The IMO 2026 PDF was retrieved and its published observing dates checked on October 22, 2026. Activity ranges differ: AMS ends Geminids on December 17 while IMO and Greenwich extend them to December 20. This follow-up does not introduce exact model maximum times or numerical ZHR. Check local moonset, darkness and weather; past events remain historical references.
- American Meteor Society: 2026/2027 Meteor Shower Calendar · American Meteor Society · verified 2026-10-10
- Royal Observatory Greenwich: 2026 meteor shower calendar · Royal Observatory Greenwich · verified 2026-10-10
- NASA Science: Meteor Showers · NASA Science · verified 2026-10-10
- Royal Observatory Greenwich: 2026 Draconids and Moon conditions · Royal Observatory Greenwich · verified 2026-10-10
- International Meteor Organization: 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar · International Meteor Organization · Source checked:
Editorial review and freshness
Author: Starry Forecast Editorial Team. Reviewer: Starry Forecast Astronomy Review Desk. Verified: 2026-10-10T00:00:00+08:00. Updated: 2026-10-31T00:00:00+08:00. Source refresh due: 2026-11-01 (review overdue; source claims are not newly verified).