Meteor shower

Ursids 2026

Active Thu 17 Dec, 00:00 → Sat 26 Dec, 23:59

Use your naked eyes. Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, so a telescope's narrow field of view is not helpful.

Find a dark open area with a wide sky view. Allow 20–30 minutes for dark adaptation — avoid phone screens (or use Red Mode).

The radiant is in Ursa Minor, but for longer meteor trails look roughly 30–60° away from it rather than directly at it.

Reference ZHR

Idealised zenithal hourly rate under perfect dark skies with the radiant at the zenith. Real observed rates are usually lower.

Speed

33 km/s

Parent body

8P/Tuttle

Global maximum

Tue 22 Dec, 10:00