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Meteor shower · November

Leonids 2026

Famous for historic meteor storms, the Leonids are usually a modest November shower of very fast meteors.

Peak nightNov 16–17
Rate at peakRates vary
Moon at peak49% · sets 22:15
Best time from London01:30–05:15
Join the waitlistHow to watch

The Leonids from London

Times for London, United Kingdom

On the night of Nov 16–17, the radiant climbs to 57° in the southeast while it’s dark in London. The Moon is 49% lit and sets at 22:15, so the darker hours come after that. The best window here is about 01:30–05:15.

  1. 18:07Astronomical darkness begins
  2. 22:15Moon sets
  3. 22:29Radiant rises
  4. 01:30Best window begins
  5. 05:24Dawn twilight begins
0°30°60°90°18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00RadiantMoon (49%)
Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Traced backward, their trails meet at the radiant; the higher it is, the more you’ll see.

How to watch

The radiant rises around midnight, so the best viewing is from about 1 a.m. until dawn. Rates vary from year to year, and in most years the Leonids are a modest shower; check back each year rather than relying on old storm reports.

The radiant is in the Sickle of Leo, which rises around midnight. Rates vary from year to year, so SkyMate doesn’t quote a peak rate for this shower. The shower is active from about 6 Nov to 27 Nov.

Get as far from streetlights as you can and give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the dark. Every glance at a bright phone screen resets that, so keep it away or use a red night mode.

Lie back on a reclining chair or a mat and take in as much sky as possible, looking about halfway up rather than straight at the radiant. Meteors can appear anywhere; the ones far from the radiant have longer trails.

You need no equipment. Binoculars and telescopes show only a tiny patch of sky, so they make you miss meteors. Dress warmly, even in summer, and plan to watch for at least an hour: meteors come in clumps and lulls.

Where do they come from?

The Leonids are dust from Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle, which returns every 33 years. Around its returns, Earth can hit dense, young dust trails: the storms of 1833 and 1966 produced thousands of meteors an hour, and 1999–2002 brought strong displays.

The fastest meteors of any major shower, at about 70 km/s, often with trains.

Active
6–27 Nov
Peak
around 17 Nov 2026
Rate at peak (ZHR)
Varies
Speed
70 km/s
Parent body
Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle
Radiant
Leo

Calendar

Every major shower’s peak in 2026. Dates are approximate (±1 day) and given in UTC.

Questions

Will there be a Leonid storm this year?
Storms depend on Earth meeting a fresh dust trail, which modelers predict years ahead. In most years the Leonids are modest, and SkyMate doesn’t quote a rate it can’t source.
Why are Leonids so fast?
The comet orbits in the opposite direction to Earth, so its dust strikes the atmosphere almost head-on.
How many meteors will I really see?
Fewer than the peak rate. The zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) assumes a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. With some light pollution, moonlight or a low radiant, a fraction of that is typical.
What is the radiant?
The point in the sky the meteors seem to come from. It’s a perspective effect: the dust travels in parallel paths, like snowflakes seen from a moving car. The higher the radiant, the more meteors you see.
Do I need a telescope or binoculars?
No. Your eyes are best because meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Optical aid narrows your view far too much.
Know the best hour for your sky.SkyMate can remind you when the radiant is up and the sky is dark where you are.Join the waitlist

Sources: Global Meteor Network (activity and peak solar longitudes, CC BY 4.0); Moorhead, Clements & Vida 2022 (radiants and speeds, CC BY 4.0); NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (typical peak rates; no NASA endorsement implied). Peak dates and positions computed by SkyMate. Data & Licences

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