How, when, and where to see every meteor shower in the U.S. throughout the remainder of 2022
Photo Credit: Michal Manciewicz
Find a dispersed campsite near National Park land. Learn a new camping recipe, or get tips to enhance your thruhiking. Be among the first to get exclusive stories, trail reports and more from our growing team of experienced campers, backpackers, thru hikers, and fellow adventure lovers.
Editor's Note: This article, originally published on August 2nd and updated on November 3rd, 2021, has been refreshed as of May 2022 to reflect a current schedule of meteor showers for the duration of the year. We'll be updating this post every few months to provide you with the most relevant information regarding upcoming sky events worth staying up late for!
Meteor showers are some of the most exciting and breathtaking sky events you can witness - but if you’re not careful, they can be easy to miss! That’s why we at Pathloom decided to put together a comprehensive list of every meteor shower that will be occurring for the remainder of 2022 - beginning with the Eta shower that peaks this coming week! We're also including dates for the two total lunar eclipses (May and November), as well as the two Supermoons of the year (June and July), when the proximity of the full moon makes it appear larger in the night sky than at any other time! Get your cameras, binoculars, and/or telescopes ready!
Viewing conditions vary around the world, and some meteor showers are much more visible from the Southern Hemisphere. However, at this point in our company’s lifecycle the overwhelming majority of Pathloom’s community is US-based, so we tried to list the best locations to view each shower domestically. We hope to provide a more international perspective in coming years, but for now we’ll focus on our local readership.
Photo Credit: Kristopher Roller
So mark your calendars and get trip planning! Remember that you’ll only need to find a location without much light pollution, and arrive with enough time to find a good view of the sky to see something truly beautiful. You can use this tool to find the best places to stargaze near you - and if you’re new to stargazing, check out our article on planetary conjunctions for a more comprehensive look on how to view constellations! Remember, meteor showers are typically named after the constellations that they appear closest to, so for the most ideal views find that constellation and set your sights there. Good luck, and don’t forget to make a wish!
Eta Aquariids
Dates Active: April 15th - May 27th
Peak Viewing Date: May 4th - 6th
Optimal Viewing Time: Just before dawn
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Southern United States
Total Lunar Eclipse: May 16th
Full Strawberry Supermoon: June 14th
Full Buck Supermoon: July 13th
Southern Delta Aquariids
Dates Active: July 18th - August 21st
Peak Viewing Date: July 29th (or any night while active with a new moon)
Optimal Viewing Time: Evening until dawn
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Southern United States
Perseids Meteor Shower - Photo Credit: Prokhor Minin
Full Sturgeon Supermoon: July 13th
Perseids
Dates Active: July 14th - September 1st
Peak Viewing Date: November 16th - 18th
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Draconids
Dates Active: October 8th - October 9th
Peak Viewing Date: October 8th
Optimal Viewing Time: Just after nightfall, prior to full moon rising
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Orionids
Dates Active: September 26th - November 22nd
Peak Viewing Date: October 20th & 21st
Optimal Viewing Time: 12-2am either night
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Photo Credit: Daniel Mayo
Southern Taurids
Dates Active: September 23th - November 12th
Peak Viewing Date: November 5th
Optimal Viewing Time: Around Midnight
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Northern Taurids
Dates Active: October 13th - December 2nd
Peak Viewing Date: November 12th
Optimal Viewing Time: Around Midnight
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
According to Earthsky.org, late October 2022 may actually be the best time to catch the Taurid meteor showers, as both showers overlap under a new moon, meaning less light pollution to drown them out!
Total Lunar Eclipse: November 8th
Leonids
Dates Active: November 3rd - December 2nd
Peak Viewing Date: November 17th
Optimal Viewing Time: Late evening until moonrise
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Photo Credit: Jonathan Forage
Geminids
Dates Active: November 19th - December 24th
Peak Viewing Date: December 14th
Optimal Viewing Time: Early AM hours
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Ursids
Dates Active: December 13th - December 24th
Peak Viewing Date: December 22nd
Optimal Viewing Time: Early AM hours
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
We'll update this guide again in January 2023 with dates for the new year! Bookmark the Pathloom Blog for this and other great outdoors-related content released each and every week, and visit Pathloom.com to sign up for the FREE BETA version of our all-inclusive outdoor travel planning app!
Do you have any great night sky photography you'd like to share with us? Send a photo to blog@pathloom.com, or connect with us on Social Media for a chance to be featured in an upcoming post!
The original author of this article, Pathloom Intern Justine Imburgio majors in Secondary Education and English at Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Look for more of Justine's writing all over the Pathloom blog!
Check out these other articles by Pathloom which you may enjoy:
Sign up for exclusive, early access to the Pathloom BETA trip planning app. Enhance your outdoor adventures when you claim access to our BETA camping app FREE!
Sign up today and we will send you a list of our favorite dispersed camping places in California!
Pathloom is a Bay Area-based technology startup on a mission to get more people outdoors, more often by reimagining the outdoor trip planning app.
