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Meteor shower · Leonids 2026 · Returns 6 November

Leonid meteor shower 2026

The Leonids return on 6 November and peak on the night of 17 to 18 November 2026. From New York the best time that night is about 04:20 EST, with up to 11 meteors an hour from a dark site.

Open the live sky for your town The peak night around the world

The peak night around the world

The best time to watch on the peak night in twelve cities, each worked out for that city's own sky, with the meteors an hour you can expect from a dark site and where the Moon is at that time. Times are local.

The Leonids peak night in 12 cities: the local date, the best time, meteors an hour from a dark site and the Moon at that time
PlacePeak nightBest timeMeteors an hourfrom a dark siteMoon then
LondonUnited Kingdom17–18 Nov04:20 GMTup to 1257% lit, down
New YorkUnited States17–18 Nov04:20 ESTup to 1159% lit, down
Los AngelesUnited States17–18 Nov04:05 PSTup to 1060% lit, down
TorontoCanada17–18 Nov04:40 ESTup to 1159% lit, down
SydneyAustralia17–18 Nov04:05 AEDT4 to 552% lit, down
DelhiIndia17–18 Nov05:15 ISTup to 1655% lit, down
TokyoJapan17–18 Nov04:50 JSTup to 1453% lit, down
BerlinGermany17–18 Nov04:35 CETup to 1257% lit, down
RomeItaly17–18 Nov04:40 CETup to 1357% lit, down
JohannesburgSouth Africa17–18 Nov03:40 SAST7 to 856% lit, down
São PauloBrazil17–18 Nov03:45 BRT7 to 858% lit, down
DubaiUnited Arab Emirates17–18 Nov04:55 GSTup to 1555% lit, down

Peak night in New York, hour by hour

Shower meteors an hour you can expect from a dark site through the peak night, after allowing for the radiant's height, twilight and the Moon. A suburb shows roughly a third to a half of that, a city centre roughly a tenth to a fifth.

Where to look

N E S W radiant at 04:20 centre = overhead, edge = horizon

The Leonid radiant lies in Leo, in the Sickle, the backwards question mark of stars that ends in the bright star Regulus. From New York it rises at 22:56, and at the best time on the peak night, 04:20, it is 59° up in the east-south-east. Face that way and look about halfway up.

  • Leonids appear anywhere. Near the radiant they are short; far from it they leave long trails. Trace any of them back and it points to the Sickle of Leo.
  • Give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt to the dark, and keep your phone on the Meteor Tracker's red-light field mode.
  • Lie back on a reclining chair rather than craning your neck. No telescope or binoculars needed.
  • Watch for at least half an hour. Meteors come in bursts, with quiet spells in between.

About the Leonids

Every November, Earth runs through the dust left behind by comet Tempel–Tuttle. The grains meet Earth head-on at about 71 km/s, faster than any other major shower, and burn up more than 100 km overhead. Fast meteors are often bright, and the brightest Leonids leave glowing trains that can hang in the sky for several seconds.

The radiant sits in the Sickle of Leo, the backwards question mark of stars that ends in the bright star Regulus. It rises late in the evening, so there is little to see before midnight: the best hours are the last ones before dawn, when Leo is high. The radiant is north of the celestial equator, so the Leonids are best from the northern hemisphere, though they can be seen from most of the world.

The Leonids are famous for their storms. Comet Tempel–Tuttle returns every 33 years, and in the years around a return Earth can cross fresh, dense trails of dust: in 1833 and 1966 the sky filled with tens of thousands of meteors an hour, and from 1999 to 2002 there were strong displays of up to a few thousand an hour. In most years the shower is modest, about 10 to 15 an hour under a dark sky at the peak. The comet last passed the Sun in 1998 and returns in 2031.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Leonids are active from 6 November to 30 November 2026 and peak on the night of 17 to 18 November. The nights either side of the peak are nearly as good, and the hours before dawn are best every night.
From New York on the peak night, about 04:20 EST, with up to 11 meteors an hour from a dark site. The radiant rises at about 22:56, so the hours after midnight are best, up to the first light of dawn.
Face east-south-east and look about halfway up: from New York at 04:20 the radiant is 59° up, in the Sickle of Leo, the backwards question mark of stars that ends in the bright star Regulus. Leonids can appear anywhere in the sky, and those far from the radiant leave the longest trails.
At the peak, from a dark site in New York, up to 11 meteors an hour, about 9 of them Leonids. From a suburb expect 4 to 5, and from a city centre 1 to 2. Rates are lower before midnight, while the radiant is low.
Not much. The Moon is 59% lit on the peak night, but from New York it sets at 23:55, so the sky is dark at the best time.
On the peak night, 17 to 18 November, the best time is about 04:20 in London, 04:40 in Manchester and 04:40 in Edinburgh (GMT), with up to 12 meteors an hour from a dark site. The Moon is 57% lit but sets at 23:29, so the sky is dark at the best time.
Dust from comet Tempel–Tuttle, which swings past the Sun every 33 years and sheds grains along its orbit. Earth runs through that stream every November, and the grains meet it head-on at 71 km/s, faster than any other major shower, burning up more than 100 km overhead. In the years around the comet's returns Earth can cross fresh, dense trails, which is how the great Leonid storms of 1833 and 1966 happened.
Forecast for New York, worked out for the 2026 peak from the positions of the Sun, the Moon and the Leonid radiant. Type your town into the Meteor Tracker for your own times. Last updated: .
Cite this page: Orbital Radar, Leonid Meteor Shower 2026. https://orbitalradar.com/meteor-showers/leonids (accessed 11 October 2026).