Plan a meteor-shower night
A peak date is a starting point. Your local view also depends on the radiant’s altitude, darkness, moonlight and weather. Use a dated guide to understand the season, then check the geometry for your location.
Open your local sky chart →Dated observing guides
These guides preserve their stated year, including after the event. For later seasons, check the American Meteor Society’s current calendar and the app’s Sky Events calendar.
Read a forecast without overpromising
The radiant is the direction from which trails appear to spread. A higher radiant usually gives access to more of the shower, but clouds and sky brightness can dominate what you see. A published idealized rate is not a guaranteed count at your location. Space Time calculates sky geometry; it does not forecast individual meteor trails.
Make a local plan
- Set your observing location in the sky chart.
- Choose the date and move through the local night, checking the radiant, Moon and twilight.
- Choose a broad view away from bright lights and check a local weather forecast.
- Record your start and end time, cloud cover and count if you want to compare nights fairly.
Keep exploring
Guide by Point Dynamics. Reviewed September 23, 2026.