Meteor shower Leonids — observing times and guide
Leonids visibility on 2026-11-17
Leonids rise and set timetable
| Time | Elevation | |
| Leonids radiant transit | 02:04 | 71° |
Moonrise, 45.4% illuminated  | 08:26 | 9° |
| Leonids radiant set | 09:19 | |
| Astronomical observing session begins | 13:48 | -29° |
| Leonids radiant rise | 18:44 | |
| Moonset | 19:34 | 9° |
| Astronomical observing session ends | 00:46 | 66° |
| Twilight end (−12°) | 01:18 | 69° |
| Civil sunrise | 01:51 | 71° |
| Sunrise | 02:22 | 71° |
Track Leonids position throughout the night
← 17 November 2026 →
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| Altitude | |
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Moon conditions for Leonids — 2026
Meteor visibility depends strongly on the Moon’s position and brightness. This chart helps identify darker observing periods.
Blue and white show night and day; red marks when the radiant is above the horizon, the white line its transit, and grey when the Moon is above the horizon. Select a date for detailed Sun and Moon times.
Observing the Leonids
Radiant position:
- Right Ascension: 10h 18m 25s"
- Declination: 21° 24' 00s
Peak activity: Active from November 6 to November 30; with peak activity around November 17.
Associated parent body: Leonids is produced by debris associated with 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Earth encounters this stream along its orbit.
Leonids — Observation history
Previous activity records show the reported start, peak and end dates. Exact dates may shift slightly from year to year.
| Year | Start date | Peak date | End date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | November 14 | November 17 | November 20 |
| 1970 | - | November 17 | - |
| 1993 | - | November 18 | - |
| 2003 | - | November 18 | - |
| 2008 | November 10 | November 18 | November 19 |
| 2009 | November 3 | November 17 | November 29 |
| 2010 | November 12 | November 19 | November 19 |
| 2015 | November 2 | November 17 | November 30 |
| 2023 | October 31 | November 19 | December 11 |
Use these dates as a historical guide and check current predictions near the event.
Data Credits
Meteor data are provided by the International Astronomical Union Meteor Data Center . We thank the observers and researchers who contribute these records.