# When is the Leonid meteor shower?

*NASA says the best viewing is in the early morning hours of November 17 and 18, after the Moon sets, and that the shower could produce around 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions.*

- Type: Explainer
- Section: Science
- By: Science Desk
- Published: 2026-11-11T22:53:12-05:00
- Updated: 2026-11-11T22:53:12-05:00
- URL: https://factsdesk.com/science/when-is-the-leonid-meteor-shower/

## Key facts

- The Leonid meteor shower is active from November 6 to November 30, 2026, and NASA lists the peak night as November 16 to 17. Source: [NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:40-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/science/when-is-the-leonid-meteor-shower/#the-leonid-meteor-shower-is-active-from-november-6-to
- NASA's November 2026 skywatching guide says the best viewing times are the early morning hours of November 17 and 18, after the Moon sets. Source: [NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-november-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:53:03-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/science/when-is-the-leonid-meteor-shower/#nasa-s-november-2026-skywatching-guide-says-the-best-viewing
- The guide says the shower could produce around 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions, though most viewers will see fewer. Source: [NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-november-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:53:03-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/science/when-is-the-leonid-meteor-shower/#the-guide-says-the-shower-could-produce-around-15-meteors
- The Leonids come from debris left by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which takes 33 years to orbit the Sun once. Source: [NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:40-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/science/when-is-the-leonid-meteor-shower/#the-leonids-come-from-debris-left-by-comet-55p-tempel-tuttle
- NASA says the Leonids are best viewed starting at about midnight local time, and the show lasts until dawn. Source: [NASA Science](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/). Confirmed 2026-11-11T22:52:40-05:00. Cite: https://factsdesk.com/science/when-is-the-leonid-meteor-shower/#nasa-says-the-leonids-are-best-viewed-starting-at-about

The Leonid meteor shower is active from November 6 to November 30, 2026, and its peak night is November 16 to 17, according to [NASA's Leonids page](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/). NASA says the Leonids peak during mid-November each year.

## Leonid dates for 2026

| What | When |
| --- | --- |
| Shower active | November 6 to November 30, 2026 |
| Peak night | November 16 to 17, 2026 |
| Best viewing times | Early morning hours of November 17 and 18, after the Moon sets |

The active dates and the peak night come from the fast facts on [NASA's Leonids page](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/). The best viewing times come from [NASA's November 2026 skywatching guide](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-november-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/), which recommends watching after the Moon sets.

## How many meteors to expect

The [skywatching guide](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-november-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/) says that under ideal conditions the shower could produce around 15 meteors per hour, though most viewers will see fewer. The fast facts on the [Leonids page](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/) list fewer than 3 meteors per hour as the rate observed under dark skies, and the same page says rates are often as low as about three meteors per hour.

The Leonids page describes the meteors as bright and sometimes colorful. It lists their velocity as 43.5 miles (69.7 kilometers) per second and says they are considered to be some of the fastest meteors.

## How to watch the Leonids

The [Leonids page](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/) gives these directions:

- Start at about midnight local time. The show lasts until dawn.
- Find an area well away from city or street lights.
- Prepare for winter temperatures with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.
- Lie flat on your back with your feet toward the east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.
- Allow time in the dark. NASA says eyes adapt in less than 30 minutes.

NASA lists the constellation Leo as the shower's radiant. NASA says viewers should not look only toward Leo, because the Leonids are visible across the night sky and appear longer away from the radiant.

## Where the Leonids come from

The debris that creates the Leonids originates from comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, according to the [Leonids page](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/). The comet takes 33 years to orbit the Sun once, and its nucleus measures about 2.24 miles (3.6 kilometers) across. It was discovered twice independently, in 1865 by Ernst Tempel and in 1866 by Horace Tuttle.

## Leonid meteor storms

A meteor storm is defined as having at least 1,000 meteors per hour, according to the [Leonids page](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/). The page says that about every 33 years, viewers on Earth may experience a Leonid storm that can peak with hundreds to thousands of meteors seen per hour, depending on the observer's location. In 1966, thousands of meteors per minute fell through Earth's atmosphere during a 15-minute period. The last Leonid meteor storm took place in 2002.

This page will be updated at this address when NASA posts the dates for the next Leonid shower.

## Sources

1. [Leonids Meteor Shower](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/meteors-meteorites/leonids/), NASA Science, 2026-08-13 (primary source)
2. [What's Up: November 2026 Skywatching Tips from NASA](https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/skywatching/whats-up-november-2026-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/), NASA Science, 2026-11-03 (primary source)