Leonid Meteor Shower 2026: Peak Night, Best Time and How to See It
Short answer
The Leonids peak on the night of 16–17 November 2026. Expect about 10–15 meteors an hour under dark skies after midnight, when the Moon has set. No storm is forecast this year.
If you have ever stayed up for a meteor shower and seen three faint streaks in an hour, you are not alone. The Leonids have a reputation, and 2026 is a good year to understand why, and how to give yourself the best chance of seeing a few bright ones.
When to look in 2026
The Leonids are active from about 6 to 30 November each year. In 2026 the peak falls on the night of Monday 16 November into Tuesday 17 November. The Moon is a waxing crescent close to first quarter that week. It sets around midnight, which is good news, because the best meteor hours are after midnight anyway, when your side of Earth turns to face the stream head-on.
In a normal year, a dark rural sky gives you around 10 to 15 meteors an hour at the peak. That figure assumes the radiant is overhead and the sky is very dark. From a suburb you might see a third of that. Do not let the numbers put you off. The Leonids are fast, often bright, and some leave glowing trails that hang in the sky for a second or two.
Why the Leonids are famous
The meteors are tiny grains of dust shed by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which returns to the inner solar system every 33 years. When Earth passes through a fresh, dense trail of that dust we get a meteor storm. In 1833 observers in North America described the sky as “raining fire”, with tens of thousands of meteors an hour. The 1966 storm was even stronger for a short time, and 1999 and 2001 also produced hundreds to thousands an hour.
The comet last passed the Sun in 1998 and its next return is in 2031. Astronomers who model the dust trails do not expect a storm in 2026, so think of this as a normal, pleasant shower and a warm-up for the 2030s.
Where to look
The meteors seem to come from the constellation Leo, in the “Sickle” shape that looks like a backwards question mark. Leo rises in the east-north-east around midnight. You do not need to stare at Leo itself. Meteors appear all over the sky, and the ones about 40 to 60 degrees away from the radiant have the longest, prettiest trails. Lie back and look at the darkest wide patch of sky you can find.
The Leonids are visible from both hemispheres, though the northern half of the world gets the better view because Leo climbs higher there before dawn. If you are in India, the Gulf, Europe or North America, plan for roughly 1 a.m. until the first light of dawn. In Australia or South Africa, the window is shorter and closer to dawn.
A simple plan that actually works
- Check the weather first. Clouds beat every other factor. Open our weather tool the afternoon before and pick the clearer night of the 16th or 17th.
- Get away from lights. Even 20 minutes out of town makes a big difference. A park, a beach or a field with a wide horizon is ideal.
- Give your eyes 20 minutes. Put your phone away or turn the screen red and dim. Every glance at a bright screen resets your night vision.
- Dress for a cold night. November nights are cold in much of the northern hemisphere. A reclining chair, blanket and a hot drink turn a long wait into a nice evening.
- Stay at least an hour. Meteors come in clumps. Ten quiet minutes can be followed by three in a row.
Taking photos
Phones have improved, but meteors are still hard to catch. Use a tripod, the widest lens, night mode or a manual exposure of 10 to 20 seconds, and let the camera shoot continuously. Most frames will be empty. The one with a bright streak makes it worth it. Keep a second battery warm in your pocket, because cold drains batteries fast.
Make it a family night
Children love meteor showers if you keep it short and cosy. Go out for 30 to 40 minutes before bedtime on the 16th, even if the best hours come later, and count meteors together. Tell them each streak is a grain of dust smaller than a grain of sand, burning up about 100 km above the ground at around 70 km per second. That is fast enough to cross India in under a minute.
What else is in the sky
If you miss the Leonids, there is more coming. The Geminids in mid-December are usually the strongest shower of the year. Our meteor shower and eclipse calendar lists the dates, and the sunrise and sunset calculator tells you when real darkness begins where you live. For more on what is happening this month, read our guide to the Taurid fireballs, which overlap with the Leonids in November.
Updated 20 October 2026. Dates from the International Meteor Organization’s 2026 calendar and NASA. Moon phase from standard ephemeris tables.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Leonid meteor shower in 2026?
It is active from about 6 to 30 November, peaking on the night of 16–17 November 2026.
What time is best to see the Leonids?
After midnight until dawn, when Leo is higher and the Moon has set.
Will there be a Leonid meteor storm in 2026?
No storm is forecast. Expect a normal shower of roughly 10–15 meteors an hour from a dark site.
