Meteor Shower
Leonids Meteor Shower
Peak rates of about 15 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Radiant in Leo.
Your local time
17 Nov 2026, 20:22
Universal time
17 Nov 2026, 14:52 UTC
Countdown
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The Leonids are produced by debris from Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle. Meteors appear to radiate from a point at RA 152°, Dec 22°, entering the atmosphere at about 71 km/s. The quoted zenithal hourly rate of 15 assumes a radiant overhead and a perfectly dark sky; real observed rates are usually lower. No equipment is needed — lie back, let your eyes dark-adapt for 20 minutes and watch a wide patch of sky.
Observation details
- Visibility
- Partially visible
- Best viewing time
- 18 Nov 2026, 05:22
- Direction to look
- NNE · azimuth 28°
- Altitude at peak
- -33.5°
- Equipment
- Naked Eye
- Zenithal hourly rate
- ~15/hr
- Parent
- Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle
- Entry velocity
- 71 km/s
- Solar longitude at peak
- 235.27°
The event's peak happens below your horizon, but the same part of the sky reaches 71° later in the night.
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Photography & observing tips
- •Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to dark-adapt and avoid white light entirely.
- •Look about 40° away from the radiant rather than straight at it — meteors there leave longer trails.
- •For photography use a fast wide lens at f/2.8 or wider, 15–25 second exposures, and shoot continuously.
Event timeline
Times shown in your local timezone, computed from the event geometry.
Activity ramps up
12 Nov 2026, 20:22 · 12 Nov 2026, 14:52 UTC
Peak
17 Nov 2026, 20:22 · 17 Nov 2026, 14:52 UTC
Activity fades
22 Nov 2026, 20:22 · 22 Nov 2026, 14:52 UTC
Other meteor shower events
The nearest occurrences before and after this one.