Ursids 2028: the moon at peak

Dec 22, 2028, 00:49 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

33% Good — a thin moon leaves most of the night usable.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Dec 22, 2028, 00:49 UTC

Illumination

33%

Waxing crescent

Peak rate (ZHR)

~10/hour

Radiant

Ursa Minor

Active period

Dec 17 – Dec 26

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	Fri, Dec 22 09:49	11.3 h	7.7 h	11:21 (+1)	22:30	Good
Tokyo	Fri, Dec 22 09:49	11.2 h	7.6 h	10:29 (+1)	21:39	Good
New York	Thu, Dec 21 19:49	11.5 h	7.2 h	10:59 (+1)	22:25	Fair
Los Angeles	Thu, Dec 21 16:49	11.1 h	6.9 h	10:58 (+1)	22:31	Fair
London	Fri, Dec 22 00:49	12.0 h	7.8 h	11:01 (+1)	22:10	Good
Madrid	Fri, Dec 22 01:49	11.4 h	7.4 h	—	23:32	Fair
Sydney	Fri, Dec 22 11:49	6.1 h	4.5 h	11:21 (+1)	23:27	Good
São Paulo	Thu, Dec 21 21:49	7.5 h	5.0 h	11:03 (+1)	22:50	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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