LEONIDS · 2026
2026 Leonid meteor shower
Once the 47% lit Moon sets around 11:00 PM, the best view comes around 5:00 AM, when the radiant stands 65° up in the southeast.
- Peak
- Nov 17–19, 2026
- Best time
- night of Nov 16 → 5:00 AM on Nov 17
- Radiant
- 65° up in the southeast · Leo
- Moonlight
- No moonlight · the 47% lit Moon sets around 11:00 PM
- Up to
- about 15 an hour (ZHR, ideal sky)
- Active
- Nov 6 – Nov 30
- Parent body
- Comet Tempel–Tuttle (55P)
- Meteor speed
- about 71 km/s
The best night around the peak
From 6 PM on Nov 16 to 6 AM the next morning, for New York.
- Radiant height
- Moon up (darker = brighter Moon)
- Twilight or day (sky not dark)
- Best time
Hour by hour
| Time | Radiant | Moon | Viewing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30 PM | below the horizon | up · 47% | 0 |
| 11:30 PM | northeast 6° | none | 10 |
| 12:30 AM | east 16° | none | 28 |
| 1:30 AM | east 27° | none | 46 |
| 2:30 AM | east 39° | none | 63 |
| 3:30 AM | east 50° | none | 77 |
| 4:30 AM | southeast 61° | none | 87 |
| 5:00 AMBest | southeast 65° | none | 91 |
Viewing is this page’s comparison score: radiant height (its sine) times a moonlight factor. It is not a meteor count, and clouds, light pollution and terrain are not included.