Meteor showers 2027: Perseids, Geminids and the best nights
The two strongest meteor showers in Germany and Central Europe in 2027 are the Perseids in August and the Geminids in December. The Perseids peak on Friday 13 August 2027 at around 10:12 CEST, in daylight (IMO solar longitude λ☉≈140°). Watch after moonset on the nights of 11–12 and 12–13 August: expect about 40–60 meteors per hour under dark rural skies, below the ideal ZHR. The Geminids peak on Tuesday 14 December 2027 at around 20:54 CET (λ☉≈262.2°), but a nearly full Moon (~97–98 %) washes out fainter meteors; around 10/h is realistic.
Meteor shower planner 2027 (free, runs in your browser)
Choose a meteor shower. Times are a guide for central Germany (approx. 51° N, 10° E). Nothing is saved or sent anywhere. All times are Central European Time (CET/CEST).
For any night: use your naked eyes, allow 20–30 minutes to adapt, look away from the radiant and bring a reclining chair or mat.
What shooting stars are
Shooting stars are meteors: dust particles the size of sand grains that burn up at about 80 kilometres altitude. Moonlight affects their visibility, which makes a moon calendar useful for planning your viewing nights.
The often-quoted ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Rate) assumes a perfectly dark sky and the radiant directly overhead. In Germany and Central Europe, actual counts are usually lower, depending on moonlight, light pollution and the radiant’s altitude.
Perseids 2027: a daytime peak, a dark window before dawn
The Perseids come from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle and travel at around 59 km/s. The IMO catalogue gives an activity window of roughly 17 July to 24 August and a ZHR of about 100–120 (often ~110+).
The calculated peak in 2027 falls on the morning of 13 August. The preceding night offers the chance to see the shower near its peak. The waxing Moon is around 84 % illuminated. In central Germany, it sets at about 1:30 CEST on the night of 12–13 August, leaving a dark window until dawn.
- Best nights: 11–12 and especially 12–13 August, after moonset until just before dawn.
- Direction: the radiant is in Perseus, in the north-east. Look 40–90° away from it or high overhead, towards the darkest part of your sky.
- What to expect: about 40–60/h in the best window under dark rural skies; much fewer on the edge of a city, and often only a handful of bright trails in the centre.
Peak calculated from IMO solar longitude via secondary sources (the 2027 IMO calendar PDF was available only as an HTML placeholder at the editorial deadline); moon phase calculated from ephemerides.
Geminids 2027: a strong shower under bright moonlight
The Geminids are associated with asteroid (3200) Phaethon. They are slower (~35 km/s) and often bright. Active roughly 4–20 December, they peak on 14 December around 20:54 CET. The theoretical ZHR reaches ~150, but in 2027 the ~97–98 % illuminated Moon stays up all night. Around 10 meteors per hour is realistic even under dark skies, though many leave distinct trails.
If you head out, dress warmly, take a reclining chair and look up. The brightest Geminids remain visible in moonlight.
Other meteor showers in 2027
| Shower | Maximum (Central European time) | ZHR (ideal) | Moon conditions in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrantids | ~4 Jan ~04:25 CET | ~80 | favourable (~13 %) |
| Lyrids | ~23 Apr ~03:41 CEST | ~18 | poor (~95 %) |
| η-Aquariids | ~6 May ~17:12 CEST (daylight) | ~50 | ideal Moon; radiant only briefly above the horizon before dawn in Germany |
| Perseids | ~13 Aug ~10:12 CEST (daylight) | ~100–120 | good after moonset (~84 %) |
| Orionids | ~22 Oct ~02:36 CEST | ~20 | moderate (~59 %) |
| Leonids | ~18 Nov ~06:58 CET | ~15 | poor (~82 %), no meteor storm this year |
| Geminids | ~14 Dec ~20:54 CET | up to ~150 | difficult (~97–98 %) |
Moon and peak figures are for central Germany; ZHR is an ideal rate. See the planner above for details and calculation notes.
How to watch comfortably
- Lie back in a reclining chair or on a mat.
- Set your phone to red light or minimum brightness; allow 20–30 minutes for your eyes to adapt.
- Get away from streetlights. Even travelling 15–20 minutes out of town often helps more than binoculars.
- Leave the telescope behind: its field of view is too narrow for meteor showers.
Related: Full moon dates 2027, Solar eclipse, 2 August 2027, New moon dates 2027, New moon dates 2028, Lunar eclipse 2028, Subscribe to the moon calendar, Today's moon phase.
Printable Moon Calendar 2027 (€9.90, PDF in A4, A5 and tablet formats): all new and full moons to the minute, plus each day’s moon sign. Plan dark nights for the Perseids and other showers. There is no print calendar for 2028 yet.
Learn more →More on Cosmolytic: how much the Moon brightens a meteor night depends on the moon phase. Which phase is on and when a waning crescent only rises towards dawn: see the sky today.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the Perseids in 2027?
On the nights of 11–12 and especially 12–13 August, after moonset until dawn. The calculated peak falls on 13 August at around 10:12 CEST, in daylight.
How many Perseids can I actually see in 2027?
About 40–60 per hour under dark rural skies during the best window. The ZHR of ~100–120 applies only to ideal conditions.
When are the Geminids in 2027?
They peak on 14 December 2027 around 20:54 CET. The Moon is almost full (~97–98%), so around 10/h is realistic.
Do I need a telescope for meteor showers?
No. Your naked eyes and a reclining chair are enough. Telescopes and binoculars have too narrow a field of view.
What does ZHR mean?
Zenithal Hourly Rate: the theoretical hourly rate with the radiant directly overhead and a perfectly dark sky. Your actual count will be lower.
Where do the Perseids and Geminids come from?
Perseids: dust from comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Geminids: asteroid (3200) Phaethon.
Sources
- IMO Meteor Shower Calendar 2027 (PDF; site rebuild / placeholder when accessed)
- International Meteor Organization
- leoniden.net: Perseids 2027 (secondary source for peak and Moon)
- sterngucker.de: Perseids 2027 (cross-check)
- sterngucker.de: Meteor shower calendar 2027 (cross-check)
Responsible: Maximilian Stroh, Anonyfox e. K., Hamburg