Data based on 2026 conditions. ZHR rates assume ideal skies; expect 20–50% of that under real conditions.
QUABelow avg
Quadrantids
Jan 3–4
Lunar phase (peak)
Waning Gibbous17d
The Quadrantids are one of the three strongest annual showers, but their peak lasts only a few hours — missing it by a day means a fraction of the rates. In 2026 a bright waning gibbous moon rises in the evening and interferes through the best pre-dawn window.
Photo tip
Shoot from 02:00–05:00 local when the radiant in Boötes is highest. Frame northeast and accept the moon glow in the background — bright Quadrantid fireballs (magnitude 1–2) will still stand out.
LYRBelow avg
Lyrids
Apr 22–23
Lunar phase (peak)
First Quarter7d
Reliable and easy to observe, the Lyrids bring a mix of medium-speed meteors with occasional bright fireballs. A first-quarter moon sets around midnight in 2026, opening a dark window in the pre-dawn hours.
Photo tip
Wait for moonset (~00:30 local) then shoot until astronomical twilight. Vega is bright and makes a dramatic foreground element near the radiant.
ETAFair
Eta Aquariids
May 6–7
Lunar phase (peak)
Waning Crescent22d
A waning crescent at 24% illumination rises late and leaves most of the night dark. Eta Aquariids are fast — 66 km/s — producing long glowing trains. Best viewed from the southern hemisphere, but from Spain they are observable in the hour before dawn.
Photo tip
The radiant rises low in the east just before dawn. Shoot with a wide-angle lens toward the eastern horizon from 04:00–05:30, including the pre-dawn sky glow as a compositional element.
SDAPoor
Delta Aquariids
Jul 30–31
Lunar phase (peak)
Waning Gibbous17d
A broad, slow-building shower best seen from the southern hemisphere. In 2026 it peaks with a waning gibbous moon at 77% illumination, making faint meteors hard to catch. Bright ones above magnitude 2 remain visible despite the light.
Photo tip
Skip this shower for dedicated sessions in 2026 — the moon makes thin captures impossible. Use this window to practice your intervalometer settings before the Perseids two weeks later.
CAPPoor
Alpha Capricornids
Jul 30–31
Lunar phase (peak)
Waning Gibbous17d
Low ZHR but notable for very slow, very bright fireballs that can reach magnitude -3 or brighter. These are dramatic to photograph even under a bright moon. Active simultaneously with the Delta Aquariids in late July.
Photo tip
Despite the bright moon, Alpha Capricornid fireballs are bright enough to capture. Run your intervalometer all night and sort captures later — you only need one magnitude -2 fireball to make the session worthwhile.
Lunar phase (peak)
Waning Crescent27d
Usually modest, but the Draconids have produced genuine meteor storms in 1933 and 1946. In 2026 conditions are favorable — a thin waning crescent at 9% illumination leaves the sky dark. Unusually slow meteors (20 km/s) make the radiant in Draco easy to trace back.
Photo tip
The radiant in Draco is circumpolar — never sets from mid-northern latitudes. Best observed in the evening (19:00–23:00) when Draco is highest. Slow meteors show well on 20-second exposures.
ORIBelow avg
Orionids
Oct 21–22
Lunar phase (peak)
Waxing Gibbous10d
Fast Halley debris, same parent body as the Eta Aquariids. A half-full moon at 55% illumination masks the fainter half of the display. The brighter ones above magnitude 2 — some with persistent trains — remain capturable.
Photo tip
Shoot between moonset (around 01:30–02:00 local) and astronomical twilight for the cleanest captures. Frame southeast toward Orion rising, with the Milky Way winter arc in the background.
TAUExcellent
Taurids
Nov 10–11
Lunar phase (peak)
New Moon
The Taurids peak lands on the new moon in 2026 — excellent conditions for a shower better known for quality than quantity. Very slow meteors (27 km/s) produce long-duration fireballs, some with visible fragmentation. The active window spans three months: occasional bright Taurid fireballs can be captured through October and November.
Photo tip
Frame toward the Pleiades and Hyades — the radiant sits between them. Long exposures (25–30 sec) suit the slow meteors well. Run your intervalometer all night from a dark site.
LEOBelow avg
Leonids
Nov 17–18
Lunar phase (peak)
First Quarter7d
The fastest shower in the calendar at 71 km/s, producing meteors with long glowing trains. Historical storm years occur when Earth passes through dense debris filaments — 1833, 1866, 2001. A first-quarter moon sets around midnight in 2026, leaving the pre-dawn hours dark.
Photo tip
Shoot after moonset (roughly midnight–01:00 local) when Leo rises above 20° elevation. Fast meteors at 71 km/s benefit from slightly shorter exposures — try 15 sec to preserve streak sharpness.
Lunar phase (peak)
Waxing Crescent3d
The Geminids rival the Perseids for the strongest annual shower. Uniquely, they originate from an asteroid (3200 Phaethon), not a comet. In 2026, a thin 12% crescent sets before 20:00 local, leaving the entire night dark. ZHR of 150 in ideal conditions; expect 80–120 from a Bortle 4 site.
Photo tip
Geminids are visible all night — the radiant (near Castor and Pollux) rises after sunset and is highest around midnight. Medium-slow speed (35 km/s) produces well-defined streaks. A Bortle 3–4 site can yield 80–100 meteors per hour of actual sky time.
URSBelow avg
Ursids
Dec 22–23
Lunar phase (peak)
Waxing Gibbous12d
A modest shower near the winter solstice, the Ursids reward observers at northern latitudes where the radiant near Polaris is circumpolar and visible all night. In 2026 a waxing gibbous moon at 66% illumination reduces visible rates significantly.
Photo tip
Best window is after moonset (around 01:00–02:00 local) through astronomical twilight. The circumpolar radiant means you can frame toward Polaris with interesting star trail compositions on longer exposures.