The 2026 Leonid meteor shower peaks on the night of November 17 into November 18, bringing up to 15 shooting stars per hour under ideal conditions.
Astronomy enthusiasts across the globe are preparing for the mid-November peak of the Leonid meteor shower, an annual celestial event driven by Earth crossing the debris path of periodic comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
While the International Meteor Organization expects the maximum at 23:45 Universal Time on November 17—translating to 00:45 in Prague and 23:45 Greenwich Mean Time in the UK—observers in the United States will see the peak at 6:45 p.m. Eastern Time, according to Around Prague.
The comet periodically visits the inner Solar System once every 33 years. When Earth encounters particularly dense concentrations of its debris, the Leonids can produce extraordinary meteor storms, a historic phenomenon famously documented during displays in 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999, 2001, and 2002.
Watch the Shower During Pre-Dawn Hours of November 18
The best viewing window for stargazers falls during the overnight hours and into the pre-dawn morning of November 18. Although the shower is active from November 6 through November 30, activity remains strongest near the middle of the month.
Moonlight interference will remain minimal during the prime viewing hours. The Moon reaches its first-quarter phase on November 17, but sets around midnight in major time zones, leaving dark skies for the early morning hours when the constellation Leo rises high in the east.
Leonids Approach Earth at High Speeds
According to Starlust, the Leonids are among the fastest shooting stars of the year, approaching Earth nearly head-on with a combined velocity close to 70 kilometers per second, or about 44 miles per second.
Find Dark Rural Areas to Maximize Visibility
To make the most of the event, skywatchers should choose a safe spot with a wide view of the eastern and southern night sky.
To maximize visibility, Action News 5 recommends staying up late or waking up early, getting away from city lights, and heading toward rural areas, open countryside, or mountain regions that help block lights.
Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle Follows a 33-Year Orbit
The parent comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle reaches perihelion 0.975 Astronomical Units from the Sun on a 33-year orbit, with its next perihelion due on May 20, 2031. Historical Leonid storms have produced intense outbursts, such as the 1833 storm and the 1966 display over the southwestern United States, where observers reported thousands of meteors per minute during a 15-minute period, with rates topping an estimated 160,000 per hour.
The most recent major Leonid storm occurred in 2002. While current models suggest no great storms on the 2031 and 2064 passes of the comet—with 2099 marking the next great storm year—displays exceeding 100 meteors an hour remain possible in the early 2030s.
Earlier coverage: Northern Taurid Meteor Shower Peaks November 12 With Bright Fireballs Expected