How, when, and where to see every meteor shower in the U.S. throughout the remainder of 2023
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 in 2021 and updated in 2022 has been refreshed as of April 2023 to reflect a current schedule of meteor showers for the duration of this year. We'll continue to update this post as needed 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 2023 - beginning with the Lyrid shower that peaks next week! We're also including dates for the two total lunar eclipses (May and October), as well as the four Supermoons of the year (July, August (x2), and September), 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!
Lyrids
Dates Active: April 15th - April 29th
Peak Viewing Date: April 21st - April 23rd (new moon on 4/19!)
Optimal Viewing Time: All night long!
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Northern United States
Eta Aquariids
Dates Active: April 15th - May 27th
Peak Viewing Date: May 5th - 6th
Optimal Viewing Time: 2am until dawn
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Southern United States
*Unfortunately, a full moon will have risen when this shower reaches its peak, which may obscure viewing. Still, this shower is strong enough you may still be able to see plenty!*
Penumbral Lunar Eclipse: May 5th
*Unfortunately, this Eclipse will occur during daylight hours in the Western Hemisphere, and therefore will not be visible from the US*
Areitids
Dates Active: May 29th - June 17th
Peak Viewing Date: June 7th
Optimal Viewing Time: Just before dawn (majority of shower occurs during daylight)
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Full Buck Supermoon: July 3rd
Delta Aquariids
Dates Active: July 18th - August 21st
Peak Viewing Date: July 30th (or any night while active in absence of moonlight)
Optimal Viewing Time: All night long (all night)
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Southern United States
Perseids Meteor Shower - Photo Credit: Prokhor Minin
Full Sturgeon Supermoon: August 1st
Full Blue Supermoon: August 30th
Perseids
Dates Active: July 14th - September 1st
Peak Viewing Date: August 13th
Optimal Viewing Time: Middle of the night
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Full Harvest Supermoon: September 29th
Draconids
Dates Active: October 8th - October 9th
Peak Viewing Date: October 8th
Optimal Viewing Time: Just after nightfall, prior to midnight
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Orionids
Dates Active: September 26th - November 22nd
Peak Viewing Date: October 21st & 22nd
Optimal Viewing Time: 12-2am either night
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Photo Credit: Daniel Mayo
Partial Lunar Eclipse: October 28th
Southern Taurids
Dates Active: September 23rd - 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 waning gibbous moon, meaning less light pollution to drown them out!*
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: All night long (all night)
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
Ursids
Dates Active: December 13th - December 24th
Peak Viewing Date: December 23rd
Optimal Viewing Time: Just before sunrise, after moon sets
Best Area for Viewing in U.S.: Anywhere in the US
We'll update this guide again in 2024 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!
See below for more great articles from your friends at Pathloom!
