☄ Meteor Shower Calendar 2026

Rolling 12-month guide to meteor showers observable from Beaumaris, North East Tasmania (41° South). Active shower alerts and Moon phase conditions update automatically every year — no manual updates needed. Data: IMO Meteor Shower Calendar — compiled by Jürgen Rendtel.

What are those unusual shower names? Meteor showers are named after the star they appear to radiate from. Astronomers use Greek letters to label stars — so “Eta Aquariids” simply means “the shower appearing near the star Eta in the constellation Aquarius.” Plain English names are shown throughout this page.

Currently Active & Next Up — May 2026


Eta Aquariids Active Now
(Eta = Greek letter “e”, near the star Eta in Aquarius)
ActiveApr 19 – May 28
PeakMay 5–7 ★
ZHR at Peak~50/hr
Speed66 km/s
Moon at Peak ⚠ Waning Gibbous (72%)
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere One of the very best showers for Tasmania! Debris from Halley's Comet. The radiant rises well above the north-eastern horizon before dawn, giving a much better view than from Europe. Activity lasts nearly two weeks around the peak. Fast meteors that often leave glowing trails. Best observed 3am–5am AEST when the radiant is highest.

Annual Activity Timeline — 2026


Shower
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Quadrantids
April Lyrids
Eta Aquariids
June Bootids
Alpha Capricornids
Southern Delta Aquariids
Perseids
Aurigids
Draconids
Orionids
Southern Taurids
Northern Taurids
Leonids
Geminids
Ursids
Active period   Peak days   Active this month

Complete 2026 Shower Data — Auto Moon Phases


Moon phase and illumination calculated automatically for each shower’s peak date this year. ► Tasmania notes appear directly below each shower. ZHR = maximum meteors/hr under perfect dark-sky conditions. ★ = priority viewing for 41°S observers.

Shower Active Period Peak Date ZHR Speed Moon at Peak — 2026 (auto)
Quadrantids QUA — Parent: 96P/Machholz complex Dec 28 – Jan 12 Jan 3 (~9pm UT) ~120 41 km/s ✗ Full Moon (100%) — Very poor conditions Day 15.2 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:Very brief 6-hour peak window. The radiant point is far to the north — this shower is poorly placed for Tasmania. Worth monitoring in years when the Moon is favourable.
April Lyrids LYR — Parent: Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher Apr 16 – May 1 Apr 22–23 ~18 49 km/s ✓ Waxing Crescent (36%) — Good, sets before midnight Day 6.1 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:A reliable autumn shower, best viewed from Tasmania after midnight when the radiant rises in the north-east. Occasionally produces outbursts up to 100 meteors/hr with little warning — always worth a look around peak nights.
Eta Aquariids  ★ ACTIVE ETA — Parent: Comet 1P/Halley (Halley's Comet) (Eta = Greek letter “e”, near the star Eta in Aquarius) Apr 19 – May 28 May 5–7 ★ ~50 66 km/s ⚠ Waning Gibbous (72%) — Moderate interference Day 20.1 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:One of the very best showers for Tasmania! Debris from Halley's Comet. The radiant rises well above the north-eastern horizon before dawn, giving a much better view than from Europe. Activity lasts nearly two weeks around the peak. Fast meteors that often leave glowing trails. Best observed 3am–5am AEST when the radiant is highest.
June Bootids JBO — Parent: Comet 7P/Pons-Winnecke Jun 22 – Jul 2 Jun 27 Variable 18 km/s ✗ Waxing Gibbous (97%) — Poor, significant interference Day 13 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:Normally just a handful of meteors per hour, but has surprised observers with rare outbursts of hundreds per hour. Very slow, lazy meteors make them easy to identify. Worth monitoring around the peak date.
Alpha Capricornids CAP — Parent: Comet 169P/NEAT (Alpha = first Greek letter “a”, near star Alpha Capricorni) Jul 3 – Aug 15 Jul 29–31 ~5 23 km/s ✗ Full Moon (97%) — Poor, significant interference Day 16.5 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:Low rate but famous for producing spectacular slow-moving fireballs (very bright meteors). The radiant is well-placed from Tasmania. Best after 10pm when Capricornus rises in the north-east.
Southern Delta Aquariids  ★ SDA — Parent: Comet 96P/Machholz (Delta = Greek letter “d”. Southern branch of the shower) Jul 12 – Aug 23 Jul 29–31 ~25 41 km/s ✗ Full Moon (97%) — Poor, significant interference Day 16.5 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:A southern hemisphere favourite — significantly better from Tasmania than from Europe. The radiant passes high overhead giving excellent rates. Check the moon conditions shown above for this year's peak quality.
Perseids  ★ PER — Parent: Comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle Jul 17 – Aug 26 Aug 12–13 ★ ~100 59 km/s ✓ Waning Crescent (0%) — Excellent conditions Day 29.5 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:The world's most famous meteor shower. The radiant (in Perseus) sits lower from Tasmania than from Europe, but rates are still impressive. Face north-east after midnight for the best views. Fast bright meteors with long glowing trains.
Aurigids AUR — Parent: Comet C/1911 N1 Kiess Aug 28 – Sep 5 Sep 1 ~6 66 km/s ⚠ Waning Gibbous (73%) — Moderate interference Day 19.9 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:A minor shower of fast meteors. The radiant is low from Tasmania, limiting numbers. Occasional outbursts are possible. Best in years with a favourable moon.
Draconids DRA — Parent: Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner Oct 6 – Oct 10 Oct 8 Variable 20 km/s ✓ Waning Crescent (5%) — Excellent conditions Day 27.4 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:Normally very quiet but capable of spectacular storms in past years. Very slow-moving meteors. The radiant is far to the north and doesn't rise well from Tasmania, but bright fireballs from this shower can still be seen across the whole sky.
Orionids ORI — Parent: Comet 1P/Halley (Halley's Comet) Oct 2 – Nov 7 Oct 20–22 ~25 66 km/s ⚠ Waxing Gibbous (84%) — Moderate interference Day 10.9 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:The second annual shower from Halley's Comet debris. Orion rises well from Tasmania in spring. Fast meteors with persistent glowing trails. Activity stays elevated for several nights around the peak.
Southern Taurids STA — Parent: Comet 2P/Encke (Southern branch of the Taurid meteor stream) Sep 10 – Nov 20 Oct 9–11 ~5 27 km/s ✓ Waning Crescent (0%) — Excellent conditions Day 29.4 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:A long, slow-burning shower active for over two months. Low rates but slow, often bright and colourful meteors. The southern branch is well-placed from Tasmania. Famous for producing occasional brilliant fireballs.
Northern Taurids NTA — Parent: Comet 2P/Encke (Northern branch of the Taurid meteor stream) Oct 20 – Dec 10 Nov 12 ~5 29 km/s ✓ Waxing Crescent (12%) — Excellent conditions Day 3.3 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:The northern branch of the same debris stream as the Southern Taurids. Even-numbered years often see enhanced fireball activity from the denser Taurid Swarm. 2026 is an even year — watch for brilliant fireballs!
Leonids LEO — Parent: Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle Nov 6 – Dec 1 Nov 16–17 ~15 71 km/s ✓ First Quarter (60%) — Good, sets before midnight Day 8.3 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:The fastest meteor shower — particles hit the atmosphere at 71 km/s! Creates vivid coloured meteors that often leave long glowing trails. Historically produced some of the greatest meteor storms ever recorded.
Geminids  ★ GEM — Parent: Asteroid 3200 Phaethon (not a comet!) Dec 4 – Dec 20 Dec 13–14 ★ ~150 35 km/s ✓ Waxing Crescent (24%) — Excellent conditions Day 4.8 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:The best meteor shower of the year — and unique because it comes from an asteroid, not a comet! Rich, colourful, medium-speed meteors, often yellow, orange or even green. Gemini rises well from Tasmania. Start observing from 10pm. Check moon conditions above for this year's peak quality.
Ursids URS — Parent: Comet 8P/Tuttle (Named after Ursa Minor, the Little Bear constellation) Dec 17 – Dec 26 Dec 21–23 ~10 33 km/s ✗ Waxing Gibbous (99%) — Poor, significant interference Day 13.8 of 29.5
► Tasmania & Southern Hemisphere:The radiant is circumpolar to the far north and never rises above the horizon from Tasmania — this shower is essentially unobservable from the southern hemisphere.

Moon phase calculated mathematically for each peak date in 2026 — updates automatically each year. Source: IMO Meteor Shower Calendar.

Observation Tips for Beaumaris


Dark Skies
Face away from Launceston glow. Allow at least 20 minutes for your eyes to dark-adapt. Red-light torches only — phone screens destroy night vision instantly.
Best Viewing Times
Most showers peak after local midnight when Earth rotates into the debris stream. For the Eta Aquariids, the prime window is 3am–5am AEST as the radiant rises in the north-east before dawn.
Southern Hemisphere Advantage
At 41° South, Tasmania has superior views of southern showers. The Eta Aquariids and Southern Delta Aquariids are significantly better here than from Europe. Northern showers like the Perseids have lower radiants from our latitude.
No Equipment Needed
Naked eye is always best — telescopes have far too narrow a field of view. Lie flat on a reclining chair and look up at a broad area of sky. Meteors can appear anywhere, not just near the named radiant point.
Tasmanian Winter Showers
July to September showers can be cold — dress warmly and bring something to lie on. Check the Beaumaris forecast before heading out. Clear, still nights with low humidity give the darkest skies.
Moon Interference
When the Moon column shows ✗ Poor, observe before moonrise or after moonset. Moon phases are calculated automatically for every year on this page — no need to look them up!

Data Sources

Shower data: IMO 2026 Meteor Shower Calendar — compiled by Jürgen Rendtel.
International Meteor Organization (IMO)  ·  Download IMO PDF Calendar 2026
Moon phases calculated automatically using PHP — no annual updates required.
Page design: Beaumaris Weather © 2026