The Leonid meteor shower occurs every year during November, with peak activity on the night of 17 November and into the early hours of 18 November.
And the good new is that, in 2026, the Moon will be below the horizon around midnight on the night of peak activity, which means there'll be no lunar glare to spoil peak viewing time.
As well as this, the period just before peak activity falls on a weekend, meaning a late-night weekend meteor-watching session is a possibility.
Here we'll go through key facts about the Leonid meteor shower and how to see it.
More November stargazing
Leonids 2026 – where to look and when
The Leonids originate from the comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle. Debris strewn around this comet’s orbit produces activity from 3 November to 2 December, as Earth passes through the debris.
Small particles of comet debris hit Earth's atmosphere, generating meteors or 'shooting stars' in the night sky.
The peak of the 2026 Leonid meteor shower is expected to centre on 01:00 UT on the morning of 18 November, but you can start observing from 3 November.
The peak zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) is forecast to be around 15 meteors per hour, which is a theoretical value that describes how many meteors you would expect to see under absolutely perfect conditions.
In reality, the actual amount will be lower.
The Moon is present around the peak, but it sets before midnight on the nights of 17/18 and 18/19 November.
This is when the Leonid radiant (the region of the sky from which the meteors appear to originate)is beginning to gain altitude.
The Leonid radiant is located in the head of Leo – which is where they get their name from – and conveniently marked by the Sickle asterism.
The closer the radiant is to the zenith, the closer the visual rate will come to the ZHR. A watch from midnight until the start of dawn will yield the best results.
Will we get a spectacular meteor storm?
The Leonids have a reputation for producing spectacular meteor storms but, in reality, these are few and far between, occurring roughly every 33 years.
Recent outbursts were seen in 1966, 1999, 2001 and 2002; if you do the maths you’ll realise we’re currently between peaks, with the next expected in 2033 and 2034.
These outbursts occur when Earth encounters dust trails left behind in the orbit of the shower’s parent comet.
Any observations made now are very valuable because they provide a control value for the shower’s activity between outburst peaks.
This is especially true in favourable years such as this one, as some of the years leading up to the next outburst will suffer from interference by the Moon.
Photograph the Leonid meteor shower
If you’re planning to photograph the Leonid meteor shower, this can be a challenge in its own right.
Leonid meteors are the swiftest in the sky, the meteoroids that produce them travelling at 70km/s (157,000mph).
As a result, a camera needs good sensitivity because the light from a Leonid trail doesn’t linger on the sensor for long.
Now is a great time to start recording the shower.
Every year from now until after the 2033/2034 outburst period helps build an important record of how Leonid activity changes.
You’ll need patience and luck with the weather, of course – though the hardest part of this challenge may simply be staying up from midnight through to dawn on a cold, damp November night.
With an observing window just shy of six hours, this is definitely one to wrap up warm for.
For more advice, read our guide on how to photograph a meteor shower.
Observing Leonid meteors - key facts
The Leonid radiant is located within the head of Leo, depicted by the Sickle asterism.
The radiant itself rises around 22:20 UT, attaining a peak altitude of nearly 60° around 05:40 UT.
After this time, astronomical dawn will be in force with the sky slowly brightening to bring the observing window to a close.
How many Leonid meteors will we see?
The Leonid meteor shower is a popular meteor shower, despite its relatively low peak Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR) of 15 meteors per hour.
This value is for optimal viewing conditions with the shower radiant directly overhead.
The shower’s popularity is in part due to a periodic increase in its ZHR every 33 years.
At such times the Leonids may produce a storm-level display of 1,000–100,000 meteors per hour.
The next interesting period begins around 2032–2033, so we are in between ‘storms’ at present.
How to see a Leonid meteor - top tips
Leonid meteors are best observed after midnight, and meteor showers make for a great excuse to get out and get looking up at the night sky.
For more on what else you can see, read our guide on what to see in the night sky in autumn.
To see a Leonid meteor:
- Find a place away from the light pollution of towns and cities
- Observe in groups to increase your chances
- Bring a reclining chair to prevent neck ache from looking up
- Wrap up warm
- Locate the radiant in the night sky (use a star chart or smartphone astronomy app)
- You don't need a telescope or binoculars: naked-eye observing is best
- Give your eyes about 30 minutes to dark-adapt and you'll see more
- Look two thirds up in the sky
- If you see a meteor and can trace it back to Leo, chances are you've seen a Leonid
It is winter after all, and meteor observing involves a lot of standing still in open spaces.
If you observe or photograph a Leonid meteor, get in touch and let us know by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
