Alpha Capricornids 2026: peak night, meteors per hour and where to watch
The Alpha Capricornids are a modest but pretty shower: few meteors, but slow and often bright yellow fireballs. Active through July and early August alongside the Delta Aquariids and the first Perseids.
- Peak night
- 31 July — 1 August
- ZHR
- up to 5 an hour
- Moon
- 96% — in the way
- Active
- 3 July — 15 August
- Radiant
- Capricornus · after midnight
- Best time over London
- around 00:55, radiant 29° up
- Under a dark sky
- ≈ 2 meteors an hour
- Speed
- 23 km/s
- Parent
- 169P/NEAT
How to see a meteor shower, not three meteors
- 1
Get away from light pollution
The Dark Sky layer on the map shows where it is Bortle 4 or darker, with campsites nearby.
- 2
Wait until after midnight
The radiant climbs towards morning and Earth 'flies into' the dust: two to three times more meteors than in the evening.
- 3
Look away from the radiant
40–60° from the radiant meteors are longer. Lie down, keep warm, give your eyes 20 minutes without a phone.
Alpha Capricornids FAQ
When do the Alpha Capricornids peak in 2026?
On the night of 31 July — 1 August; over London the best time is around 00:55, when the radiant in Capricornus is 29° up.
How many meteors will I see?
The shower ZHR is 5; over London under a dark sky about 2 an hour, in a city just a few.
Will the Moon get in the way?
Yes: on the peak night the Moon is 96% lit and above the horizon — look away from it or watch a couple of nights before the peak.
Other meteor showers of 2026
Quadrantids · 3–4 JanuaryLyrids · 22–23 AprilEta Aquariids · 5–6 MaySouthern Delta Aquariids · 31 July — 1 AugustPerseids · 12–13 AugustDraconids · 8–9 OctoberOrionids · 21–22 OctoberSouthern Taurids · 5–6 NovemberNorthern Taurids · 12–13 NovemberLeonids · 17–18 NovemberDecember Monocerotids · 8–9 DecemberSigma Hydrids · 8–9 DecemberGeminids · 14–15 DecemberUrsids · 22–23 DecemberMeteor showers 2026 →