Orionids 2028: the moon at peak

Oct 20, 2028, 20:59 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

11% Excellent — the moon is essentially out of the way.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Oct 20, 2028, 20:59 UTC

Illumination

11%

Waxing crescent

Peak rate (ZHR)

~20/hour

Radiant

Orion

Active period

Oct 2 – Nov 7

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	Sat, Oct 21 05:59	10.1 h	10.1 h	10:19 (+1)	18:58	Good
Tokyo	Sat, Oct 21 05:59	10.1 h	10.1 h	09:20 (+1)	18:12	Good
New York	Fri, Oct 20 16:59	10.1 h	10.0 h	11:30 (+1)	19:41	Good
Los Angeles	Fri, Oct 20 13:59	10.1 h	9.6 h	11:11 (+1)	20:06	Good
London	Fri, Oct 20 21:59	9.9 h	9.9 h	—	18:45	Good
Madrid	Fri, Oct 20 22:59	10.1 h	10.1 h	—	20:50	Good
Sydney	Sat, Oct 21 07:59	8.0 h	6.8 h	07:57 (+1)	21:51	Good
São Paulo	Fri, Oct 20 17:59	8.6 h	7.0 h	08:06 (+1)	21:12	Good

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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