Leonids 2027: the moon at peak

Nov 17, 2027, 20:46 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

83% Poor — a bright moon washes out all but the brightest meteors.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Nov 17, 2027, 20:46 UTC

Illumination

83%

Waning gibbous

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	Thu, Nov 18 05:46	10.9 h	1.1 h	19:56	11:17 (+1)	Poor
Tokyo	Thu, Nov 18 05:46	10.8 h	1.1 h	19:09	10:19 (+1)	Poor
New York	Wed, Nov 17 15:46	11.0 h	1.6 h	19:49	11:15 (+1)	Poor
Los Angeles	Wed, Nov 17 12:46	10.8 h	2.0 h	20:16	10:59 (+1)	Poor
London	Wed, Nov 17 20:46	11.3 h	0.7 h	18:48	11:54 (+1)	Poor
Madrid	Wed, Nov 17 21:46	11.0 h	1.4 h	20:55	—	Poor
Sydney	Thu, Nov 18 07:46	6.8 h	1.8 h	23:02	08:59 (+1)	Poor
São Paulo	Wed, Nov 17 17:46	7.9 h	2.4 h	22:16	09:13 (+1)	Poor

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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