Key Takeaways
\nMeteor showers are best viewed in dark, clear skies away from bright lights.There are four key meteor showers to keep an eye out for in 2026.The Geminids may be the most impressive, with up to 120 meteors\/hour.<\/p>\n
Call us nerds if you must, but we love taking a gander at the night sky any chance we can get\u2014especially when there\u2019s an opportunity to see something out of the ordinary. We\u2019ll never forget the experience of seeing the total solar eclipse in 2024, and this week\u2019s blood moon lunar eclipse<\/a> was also truly a sight to behold.\n<\/p>\n When it comes to astronomical events to add to your calendar, meteor showers\u2014when Earth passes through a trail of debris left behind by a comet or asteroid and produces remarkable \u201cshooting stars\u201d\u2014are near the top of the list. Although meteor showers aren\u2019t necessarily rare occurrences, they don’t come as often as we’d like, so we’re highlighting the significant upcoming showers for your stargazing pleasure.\n<\/p>\n How to See Meteor Showers <\/p>\n You don\u2019t need a telescope or binoculars to see a meteor shower, but you will need to do some planning and patience to get the best view of them. Before heading out to meteor gaze, be sure to check the forecast for cloudy weather, as this and the moon are the two biggest factors that could get in the way of an impressive celestial show.\n<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to get away from bright lights and be sure to give your eyes at least a half hour to adjust to the night sky, which means no looking at your phone. You\u2019ll want to be somewhere where you can see as much of the sky as possible, because meteors can appear anywhere, so it\u2019s a good excuse to lie on your back and look up.\n<\/p>\n 1. The Lyrids (April 22) <\/p>\n The Lyrid meteor shower will take place between April 15 and April 29, but will peak after midnight and before dawn on April 22<\/a>, according to EarthSky. Under ideal conditions, you can expect to see between 10 and 15 meteors per hour, though sometimes the Lyrids surge to up to 100 meteors per hour.\n<\/p>\n 2. The Eta Aquariids (May 5) <\/p>\n