Perseid Meteor Shower 2026 Peak

What this countdown tracks

The clock counts down to the peak of the Perseid meteor shower on the nights of August 12 and 13, 2026 — and 2026 is a banner year. The peak coincides with a near-zero New Moon, eliminating moonlight interference for the first time since 2018 and giving observers a dark-sky Perseid display with a zenithal hourly rate of around 100 meteors per hour.

About this celestial event

The Perseids are debris shed by Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle, a 26-kilometre-wide comet with a 133-year orbit. Earth crosses Swift–Tuttle's wide debris stream every August, and the dust grains — most no larger than a grain of sand — strike the atmosphere at about 59 km/s, vaporising in bright streaks 80 to 120 km above the surface. The radiant sits in the constellation Perseus, which rises in the north-east in the late evening and climbs steadily through the night.

The Perseids are the most-watched annual meteor shower in the Northern Hemisphere, partly because August nights are warm and partly because the peak's broad three-night maximum gives observers multiple chances. Peaks coincident with bright moonlight (as in 2024 and 2025) are washed out; peaks under dark skies (as in 2026, 2018, 2007 and 2001) are spectacular. Outburst years occur when Earth passes close to a recently shed dust filament — most recently 2016, 2009 and the famous 1993 outburst with a ZHR above 400.

The Perseids are also notable for producing more fireballs than any other shower — bright, persistent meteors that can outshine the brightest stars and leave glowing trains for tens of seconds.

Best viewing

The 2026 peak is on the night of August 12–13, with the New Moon on August 13 itself. The two adjacent nights (August 11–12 and August 13–14) will also be excellent. Best observing time is from about 23:00 local time onward, with the radiant climbing through the eastern sky and the prime pre-dawn hours bringing the highest rates.

From a dark Bortle-4-or-better site at a mid-northern latitude, expect 80–120 meteors an hour during the pre-dawn hours of the peak night. From suburban skies the rate is closer to 20–40. Lie back so the whole sky is in your field of view, give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt, and avoid looking at phone screens.

Past peaks

• 2025 Perseids — bright Moon (waning gibbous) cut observed rates significantly
• 2023 Perseids — dark-sky peak with reported ZHR above 100
• 2018 Perseids — last dark-sky Perseid year before 2026
• 2016 Perseids — outburst with ZHR 150–200 observed by IMO
• 2007 Perseids — strong dark-sky peak with notable fireball component
• 1993 Perseids — historic outburst with ZHR above 400

How to observe

NASA's Meteor Watch, the IMO, the American Meteor Society, EarthSky and Sky & Telescope publish detailed observer guides every August. Major dark-sky parks (Cherry Springs in Pennsylvania, the Brecon Beacons, the Atacama, the Lake District) host organised Perseid nights. Live streams from the Virtual Telescope Project and Subaru's Mauna Kea feed cover the peak. No equipment is needed; the Perseids are an entirely naked-eye spectacle.

Related countdowns

The Perseids are the second-of-three flagship Northern Hemisphere showers after Quadrantid meteor shower 2026 and before the Geminid meteor shower 2026. Pair with the Total solar eclipse August 12 2026, which falls on the same night, and the June solstice 2026 for a full-summer sky calendar.

FAQ

When do the Perseids peak in 2026? The night of August 12 into August 13, 2026, with strong activity for two nights either side. Why is 2026 a special Perseid year? The peak coincides with a near-zero New Moon, giving the darkest Perseid skies since 2018. How many meteors per hour will I see? Up to 100 per hour from a truly dark site; 20–40 from suburban skies. Where should I look? Toward the zenith with the radiant in Perseus rising in the north-east; meteors with the longest trains appear away from the radiant.