Meteor showers over Sedona, 2026-27

Which meteor showers peak over Sedona in 2026-27?

Six between October and early January: the Orionids, both Taurid branches, the Leonids, the Geminids, the Ursids and the Quadrantids.

The moon column matters more than the rate. A 75% moon can hide most of a shower's fainter meteors. Peak nights are listed as the night that spans both dates.

When are the Geminids in 2026, and can you see them on a tour?

The Geminids peak the night of December 13 to 14, 2026, with the moon only 15% lit. They are the one major shower that is active before midnight.

The AMS calls the Geminids usually the strongest meteor shower of the year, and notes that they provide good activity before midnight. That's the key for Sedona tours, which finish by about 10:15 pm in winter. The crescent moon on Dec 13 sets early, too.

Book the flagship telescope tour on Dec 12, 13 or 14 and take the later 9 pm start. The star story tour is a good alternative: it starts at 7:30 pm, lasts two hours, and keeps your eyes on the open sky, not an eyepiece.

Big telescopes, binoculars and chairs at a dark field near Oak Creek. Book Dec 13 for the Geminid peak.

★ 4.3 · 1 h 15 min · from $127

Explore the flagship telescope tour → Tour details

Are the Orionids worth it in October 2026?

Only for patient watchers. They peak on the night of October 21 to 22 with the moon 74% lit, and the AMS expects significant moonlight interference.

The Orionids usually give 10 to 20 meteors an hour at best, and that's under a dark sky. With a waxing gibbous moon up in the evening, a tour on Oct 21 sees a bright sky and few meteors. It is also the stretch just before the Oct 25 full moon that the flagship operator advises skipping. Book the telescope tour on its merits that week, and treat any meteor as a bonus.

Our Sedona moon calendar shows the dark windows either side.

What about the Taurids and Leonids in November?

The Northern Taurids peak on November 11 to 12 under a 4% moon, inside the darkest window of the month. The Leonids follow on November 16 to 17 with the moon 39% lit.

The Taurids are low-rate showers with a long season: the southern branch runs from late September to late November. Their value in 2026 is timing: the Northern peak lands three nights after the Nov 9 new moon, when an evening tour has a dark sky anyway. The AMS lists very favorable lunar conditions.

The Leonids reach rates over 100 per hour only in good years, and the AMS warns that moonlight may hide fainter meteors while the moon is up. A clear evening around Nov 11 is the better tour night: dark sky, Taurids in the background, and telescopes for everything else.

How do you watch a meteor shower in Sedona on your own?

Pick a dark pull-off away from town lights, give your eyes 20 minutes, lie back and look about halfway up the sky. Dress for winter.

Sedona is an International Dark Sky Community, which helps. Get away from the lights of Uptown and West Sedona and the sky is dark enough for faint meteors. The cold is the bigger problem in December and January: average lows near 31°F, according to the Western Regional Climate Center. Our what to wear for stargazing in Sedona guide covers layers.

For the Quadrantids on Jan 3 to 4, the AMS notes that this year's peak favors Europe and western Asia. Sedona will see some, but the Geminids remain the shower to plan a trip around.

Frequently asked questions