Next meteor shower and peak countdown

A free meteor shower tracker that counts down to the next shower’s peak and tells you how good the show will be from your location. It works out whether the shower’s radiant rises high enough, when the sky gets dark, and how much the Moon will wash the meteors out — so you know the best time to look up. A list shows the upcoming showers of the year over a calm starry sky.

How to use the meteor shower tracker

1
Read the countdown

The big timer counts down to the peak of the next shower, with its name, peak date and expected rate.

2
Check your sky

Press “Near me”. The tool tells you if the radiant climbs high enough, when it gets dark, and how bright the Moon is — the three things that decide the show.

3
Pick the best time

Use the “best time” line: most showers are best after midnight, when the radiant is high and the sky is darkest.

4
Plan ahead

The upcoming list shows the year’s major showers, so you can mark the strong ones like the Perseids and Geminids.

See the next meteor shower and when it peaks for you

Next shower

—

Peak in
—

Tonight at your location

Radiant—
Best time—
Moon—
—
Meteors per hour (at peak)
—
Speed

Upcoming showers

Shower calendar from the IMO/AMS, refreshed yearly. All calculations (radiant, darkness, moon) run in your browser. The hourly rates are the ideal ZHR — in practice you will see fewer.

What makes it special

A live countdown to the peak of the next major meteor shower
For your location: whether the radiant is up, the sky is dark and the Moon is out of the way
The best time to watch tonight and the expected peak rate (ZHR)
A clean list of the year’s upcoming showers with their dates and rates
Honest about the numbers — the peak rate is an ideal figure under perfect skies
Works entirely in your browser and offline — the astronomy is computed, not fetched

Frequently asked questions

When is the next meteor shower?

The countdown at the top shows the next shower’s peak. Most showers are active for several days around the peak, so the night before and after are usually worth watching too. The strongest annual showers are the Perseids (August), the Geminids (December) and the Quadrantids (early January).

How many meteors will I actually see?

Far fewer than the headline rate. The “meteors per hour” figure is the ZHR — the zenithal hourly rate — which assumes a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. In reality light pollution, a low radiant, moonlight and haze all cut it down, so a “100/hour” shower might give you 10–30 under a typical sky.

What is the radiant, and why does it matter?

The radiant is the point in the sky the meteors appear to stream from. The higher it climbs above your horizon, the more meteors you can see, which is why this tool checks the radiant’s altitude for your location and time.

Why does the Moon matter?

A bright Moon lights up the sky and hides the fainter meteors. The tool checks the Moon’s phase and whether it is above the horizon during the dark hours, and tells you if it will interfere a little, strongly, or not at all.

How should I watch a meteor shower?

Get away from city lights, let your eyes adapt to the dark for 20 minutes, lie back and take in as much sky as you can — you do not need a telescope. The best window is usually after midnight, on a night close to the peak with little moonlight.

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Who is this tool for?
🎓 Students 📚 Educators & Teachers 📷 Photographers
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