Meteor Showers in September 2026: When & Where to See?
Three notable meteor showers will peak this September. Want to catch shooting stars? Use the Sky Tonight app to check the peak dates, see the radiant’s position in your sky, and set reminders so you don’t miss the best viewing time. Read on to learn everything about September’s meteor showers!
Contents
- August 31 – September 1: Aurigids
- September 9–10: September Epsilon Perseids
- September 13: September Lyncids
- Daytime Sextantids 2026
- When is the next meteor shower?
- See Meteor Showers in September 2026
Here and below, “meteors per hour” refers to the theoretical maximum number of meteors visible under ideal conditions, known as the Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR).
August 31 – September 1: Aurigids
- Designation: 206 AUR
- Meteors per hour: 6
- Moon phase: waning gibbous Moon
- Active: August 28 – September 5
- Radiant location: Auriga
- Best visible from: Northern Hemisphere
The Aurigids are a minor meteor shower with occasional outbursts of activity. Their parent body is comet C/1911 N1 (Kiess). The most recent outburst of the Aurigids was registered in 2021: the shower produced 80–100 meteors within a brief period of about an hour.
Aurigids visibility forecast
In 2026, viewing conditions for the Aurigids will be unfavorable: the peak occurs only a few days after the Full Moon, so only the brightest meteors are likely to be seen. If you decide to watch, try to block the Moon with a tree or building and look well away from it. You can read more about the Aurigids in our article.
September 9–10: September Epsilon Perseids
- Designation: 208 SPE
- Meteors per hour: 8
- Moon phase: thin waning crescent Moon
- Active: September 5 – September 21
- Radiant location: Perseus
- Best visible from: Northern Hemisphere
Don't confuse this meteor shower with the famous August Perseids! They have different parent bodies: the August Perseids come from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle, while the September Epsilon Perseids probably originate from an unknown long-period comet. The September Epsilon Perseids are also much weaker. Their fast meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere at a velocity of 64 km/s.
September Epsilon Perseids visibility forecast
In 2026, the September Epsilon Perseids (ε-Perseids) reach their peak just before the New Moon, on September 9 at around 18:00 GMT, so observing conditions will be excellent. At mid-northern latitudes, you can start observing at around 10–11 p.m. local time. A possible faint dust-filament encounter could occur around September 10 at 06:10 GMT. This timing favors observers in the Americas, where it occurs at night; in Europe and most of Asia, it falls after sunrise.
September 13: September Lyncids
- Designation: 081 SLY
- Meteors per hour: 3–4
- Moon phase: thin waxing crescent Moon
- Active: September 10 – October 8
- Radiant location: Lynx
- Best visible from: Northern Hemisphere
The September Lyncids are a weak meteor shower with a radiant in the constellation Lynx. Several nearby radiants overlap in this part of the sky, so the stream is still being studied. Under ideal conditions, observers can expect only about 3–4 meteors per hour.
September Lyncids visibility forecast
In 2026, the September Lyncids are expected to peak around September 13, shortly after the New Moon, so observing conditions should be very favorable. The shower is best seen from the Northern Hemisphere, where the radiant in Lynx climbs higher in the sky late at night.
Daytime Sextantids 2026
- Peak of activity: October 1
- Designation: 221 DSX
- Meteors per hour: 5
- Active: September 20 – October 6
- Radiant location: Sextans
- Best visible from: Both hemispheres
The Daytime Sextantids are already active in late September, but in 2026, they reach their maximum on October 1. Their radiant lies close to the Sun, so the shower is difficult to observe visually and is best seen shortly before dawn. To learn more, read our dedicated article about the October meteor showers.
When is the next meteor shower?
After September, the next major meteor showers to watch are the Draconids on October 8–9 and the Orionids on October 21–22. The Draconids are expected to produce about 5 meteors per hour under a nearly Moon-free sky. The Orionids can produce about 20 meteors per hour, though the waxing Moon will brighten the first half of the night.
Our stargazing app Sky Tonight will help you quickly determine the peak time of a meteor shower and the position of its radiant, check the Moon's phase, and get other useful and interesting information for meteor hunting. Here is how to do it in three steps:
- Tap the calendar button on the main screen.
- Go to the “Meteors” tab to see which meteor showers are currently active. Each active shower in the calendar is marked with a colored line; peaks of activity are marked with dots.
- Find the meteor shower you want to observe and tap the target button next to its name. The app will show the position of the shower’s radiant on the sky map on a given date.
Get more tips for watching meteors to maximize your chances of catching the spectacular stellar show in the sky, and then take our quiz about meteor showers to see how well you've prepared for meteor hunting!
See Meteor Showers in September 2026
September 2026 brings three minor meteor showers, all best seen from the Northern Hemisphere. The Aurigids will be hampered by bright moonlight, so only a few meteors may break through the glare. The month’s highlight will be the September Epsilon Perseids, peaking under a nearly Moon-free sky, with possible weak additional activity about 12 hours later. The September Lyncids follow on September 13 under a thin crescent Moon. Get the Sky Tonight and Star Walk 2 apps to keep up with the best celestial events every month.
Wishing you clear skies and happy observations!
