Quadrantids 2026: peak night, meteors per hour and where to watch
The Quadrantids are the first big shower of the year. The peak is very short — a few hours — so if it falls in daytime the night shows far fewer meteors. The radiant in Boötes, near the handle of the Big Dipper, rises towards morning. The parent is asteroid 2003 EH1, probably an extinct comet.
- Peak night
- 3–4 January
- ZHR
- up to 80 an hour
- Moon
- 100% — in the way
- Active
- 28 December — 12 January
- Radiant
- Boötes · before dawn
- Best time over London
- around 06:36, radiant 73° up
- Under a dark sky
- ≈ 76 meteors an hour
- Speed
- 41 km/s
- Parent
- (196256) 2003 EH1
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.
Quadrantids FAQ
When do the Quadrantids peak in 2026?
On the night of 3–4 January; over London the best time is around 06:36, when the radiant in Boötes is 73° up.
How many meteors will I see?
The shower ZHR is 80; over London under a dark sky about 76 an hour, in a city just a few.
Will the Moon get in the way?
Yes: on the peak night the Moon is 100% lit and above the horizon — look away from it or watch a couple of nights before the peak.
Other meteor showers of 2026
Lyrids · 22–23 AprilEta Aquariids · 5–6 MaySouthern Delta Aquariids · 31 July — 1 AugustAlpha Capricornids · 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 →