Meteor Shower Planner
| When | Date | Task |
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Most meteor shower guides end at a date. This one starts there: pick the peak night - the Geminids on December 13, 2026 by default - and the planner lays out the working checklist backward from it, from scouting the dark-sky site three weeks out to the after-midnight alarm the night itself.
Bottom line: the 2026-2027 season hands you the best Geminids in years - a 15 percent waxing crescent on the December 13-14 peak, the darkest moon of the shower's decade - and then the Eta Aquariids on May 5-6, 2027 under a 2 percent moon. Both are worth the two-hour sit; the checklist makes sure the sit actually happens.
The planner's edge is the moon column built into every decision: shower dates are fixed, but moonlight is what decides whether you count dozens or hundreds. Change the date to any peak night - Perseids, Orionids, the Quadrantids - and every row re-dates around it.
How to use
- Set the target date to the shower peak you are planning for - it defaults to the Geminids peak of December 13, 2026.
- Read the checklist rows: each is dated backward from peak night, and every row re-dates when you change the target.
- The count saves on this device, so the plan is still here when peak week arrives.
Frequently asked questions
What should I actually prepare for a meteor shower night?
Four things, in order: a dark-sky site (the single biggest factor - more than any equipment), a moon check for the specific night, a two-hour comfort kit (reclining chair, blanket, red flashlight, thermos), and an after-midnight plan, because rates roughly double when your side of Earth faces into the debris stream head-on.
Why is the Geminids the default shower here?
Because 2026 is its year: the December 13-14 peak runs under a 15 percent crescent, and the Geminids are already the strongest reliable shower of the calendar. Its parent is not even a comet but the rock 3200 Phaethon - the one famous exception among the big showers.
How far ahead should I plan?
Three weeks is enough for everything except the site: that is when to scout where you will drive, so the night itself involves no decisions. The checklist starts 21 days out for exactly that reason.
Does the planner roll to next year?
Set it - shower dates repeat within a day or two every year, so for next season you re-enter the peak and the whole checklist re-dates. The dates table linked below carries the full 2026-2027 calendar with moon phases if you would rather pick from the list.