2026 Skywatchers Guide: Meteor Showers, Supermoons & Total Lunar Eclipse
2026 brings a new year of spectacular meteor showers. To see Earth’s best show, all you need to do is look up. Here are all the best celestial events to look forward to in 2026 including meteor showers, supermoons, and eclipses.
This year we’re in for several supermoons, which is when the moon appears brighter and may appear larger than a normal full moon. In 2026, there are 3 “supermoons.” Read more about what’s considered a “supermoon.”
Also, in 2026, we’ll have a Total Lunar Eclipse on March 13 when the Moon passes entirely through Earth’s dark shadow and the Moon gradually darkens before taking on a reddish hue. This eclipse will be the last total lunar eclipse until late 2028.
Thanks to Earthsky for sharing the details for 2026’s Meteor Showers.
2026 Meteor Showers
January
- Active: Dec. 28, 2025 – Jan. 12, 2026
- Peak: Night of Jan 3-4, 2026
- Best Viewing: Before dawn Jan. 4 (northeastern sky)
- Notes: Bright moonlight near peak will wash out many meteors this year.
April
- Active: April 14 – April 30, 2026
- Peak: Night of April 21 into early April 22
- Best Viewing: After midnight through dawn on April 22 (look toward the northern sky)
- Notes: Typically a medium-strength shower with ~10–20 meteors/hour in dark skies
May
- Active Period: April 19 – May 28, 2026
- Peak: Night of May 5 into early May 6, 2026
- Best Viewing: Pre-dawn hours of May 6, 2026, roughly 3 – 5am PST
- Notes: Moonlight will interfere this year
July
- Active Period: Mid‑July through late July / early August (roughly July 18 to August 12, 2026)
- Peak: Around July 28-30, 2026 (broad peak period rather than a sharp hour)
- Best Viewing: After midnight through pre‑dawn from late July into early August
- Notes: Typically produces 15-20 meteors per hour in dark skies
August
- Active: July 17 – August 24, 2026
- Peak: Night of August 12–13, 2026
- Best Viewing: After midnight through dawn
Notes: One of the year’s most popular meteor showers. 2026 is expected to be an especially good year because the peak occurs near a new moon, creating darker skies for viewing. Under ideal conditions, observers may see dozens of meteors per hour, including bright fireballs.
October
- Active: October 2 – November 7, 2026
- Peak: October 21, 2026
- Best Viewing: Before dawn
November
- Duration: September 10 – November 20, 2026
- Predicted Peak: Early November
- Duration: October 20 – December 10, 2026
- Predicted Peak: November 12, 2026
- Active: November 6–30, 2026
- Peak: Night of November 16–17, 2026
- Best Viewing: After midnight
Notes: Famous for historic meteor storms, although most years offer a more modest display. The Leonids are fast, bright meteors created by debris from Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
December
- Active: December 4–20, 2026
- Peak: Night of December 13–14, 2026
- Best Viewing: Evening through early morningNotes: One of the best meteor showers of the year, often producing bright, colorful meteors. Under ideal conditions, viewers may see up to 100+ meteors per hour.
- Active: December 17–26, 2026
- Peak: December 22, 2026
- Best Viewing: Pre-dawn hoursNotes: A smaller winter meteor shower that is best viewed under dark skies.
For optimal viewing, find a dark location away from city lights, allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness, and check local weather conditions for clear skies. Peak times are approximate and may slightly vary.
2026 Supermoons
Thanks to EarthSky for sharing the details of the 2026’s supermoons and NASA for the 2026 Eclipse information.
Read more about Supermoons at Earthsky
2026 Eclipses
March 3, 2026 – Total Lunar Eclipse (Blood Moon)
- What: The Moon fully enters Earth’s shadow and may appear reddish.
- Visibility: Visible from San Francisco in early morning hours (timing local to PST).
- Totality begins: around 3:04 a.m. PST
- Totality ends: around 4:02 a.m. PST
- Why Watch: One of the year’s most dramatic lunar events. This eclipse will be the last total lunar eclipse until late 2028.
Wednesday, August 12
Get out under the stars, away from city lights, to catch the annual Perseids Meteor Shower, the Northern Hemisphere’s most popular meteor shower. Each summer, Earth passes through the trail of dust and debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle, creating a dazzling display of shooting ...
Wednesday, October 21
Wednesday, November 4
Every year from September to November, the Earth passes through a broad stream of debris associated with Comet Encke. The dust and debris hit Earth’s atmosphere at about 65,000 mph and burn up, creating the Taurid meteor shower. Most years the shower is weak, and ...
Sunday, November 8
Every year from September to November, the Earth passes through a broad stream of debris associated with Comet Encke. The dust and debris hit Earth’s atmosphere at about 65,000 mph and burn up, creating the Taurid meteor shower. Most years the shower is weak, and ...
Monday, November 16
Monday, November 23
Thanks to an optical illusion in the sky, the moon will appear bigger and brighter than normal in the San Francisco Bay Area in the night, during what astronomers call a “supermoon.” Because the sun is about 50,000 miles closer to the earth than at ...
Sunday, December 13
The cosmos’ annual gift to sky watchers, the Geminids Meteor Shower, is visible from December 4 to December 17, 2026, and will peak on the night of December 13-14, 2026. The Geminids are usually the strongest meteor shower of the year, producing up to 150 ...
Monday, December 21
Wednesday, December 23
Thanks to an optical illusion in the sky, the moon will appear bigger and brighter than normal in the San Francisco Bay Area in the night, during what astronomers call a “supermoon.” Because the sun is about 50,000 miles closer to the earth than at ...
