Leonids 2026: the moon at peak

Nov 17, 2026, 14:52 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

51% Mixed — significant moonlight for part of the night.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Nov 17, 2026, 14:52 UTC

Illumination

51%

First quarter

Peak rate (ZHR)

~15/hour

Radiant

Leo

Active period

Nov 6 – Nov 30

Peak night by city

For each city: the local time of the peak, and how much of that night is both astronomically dark and free of moonlight.

City	Peak (local time)	Astronomical darkness	Moon-free darkness	Moonrise	Moonset	Rating
Seoul	Tue, Nov 17 23:52	10.9 h	5.7 h	13:09	00:01 (+1)	Fair
Tokyo	Tue, Nov 17 23:52	10.8 h	5.7 h	12:14	23:11	Fair
New York	Tue, Nov 17 09:52	11.0 h	6.3 h	12:28	22:52	Fair
Los Angeles	Tue, Nov 17 06:52	10.8 h	5.9 h	12:15	23:08	Fair
London	Tue, Nov 17 14:52	11.3 h	5.9 h	13:13	23:29	Fair
Madrid	Tue, Nov 17 15:52	11.0 h	5.4 h	14:05	01:02 (+1)	Fair
Sydney	Wed, Nov 18 01:52	6.8 h	2.5 h	—	01:37 (+1)	Fair
São Paulo	Tue, Nov 17 11:52	7.9 h	3.5 h	11:53 (+1)	00:21 (+1)	Fair

Why the moon decides a meteor shower

Meteor rates quoted as ZHR assume a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Real counts fall off fast with sky brightness, and the moon is the one source of sky brightness that is completely predictable years ahead. A full moon near the peak can cut visible meteors by three quarters even under a cloudless sky. That is why the useful question is not “when is the peak” but “where is the moon at the peak” — which is what this page computes.

Other years

Other meteor showers

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