Meteor Showers From the Car Bed, 2026 to 2027

The car bed faces straight up, which makes it a good place to watch a meteor shower. Here are the peak nights through next summer, with the moon on each one. Dates, rates and moon phases are from the American Meteor Society's calendar. The hourly rate is the ideal-sky figure and you will see fewer in practice, but a dark lot helps.

The calendar

• Orionids: peak October 21 to 22, 2026. Up to 20 an hour. Moon 80% full, so the fainter ones will be washed out.
• Leonids: peak November 16 to 17, 2026. Around 15 an hour. Moon about 45% full.
• Geminids: peak December 13 to 14, 2026. The strongest shower of the year, up to 150 an hour under ideal skies. Moon 21% full, a good year for it.
• Ursids: peak December 21 to 22, 2026. About 10 an hour, with the moon 94% full.
• Quadrantids: peak January 3 to 4, 2027. Up to 120 an hour, but the peak lasts only a few hours. Moon 13% full.
• Lyrids: peak April 22 to 23, 2027. Around 18 an hour. Moon 95% full.
• Eta Aquariids: peak May 5 to 6, 2027. Up to 50 an hour on a new moon, the darkest peak of the year.
• Perseids: peak August 12 to 13, 2027. Up to 100 an hour. Moon 84% full.

The two to book around

The Geminids in December 2026 and the Eta Aquariids in May 2027 have the best mix of high rates and a dark moon. The Geminids are best after midnight and the desert will be cold, so bring layers and use the hot tub first. The Eta Aquariids are best in the hours before dawn.

How to watch

No equipment. Lie back in the car bed, let your eyes adjust for twenty minutes without a phone screen, and look at the whole sky rather than one point. Meteors can appear anywhere, and their trails point back toward the constellation the shower is named for. Keep the outdoor lights off while you watch; our notes on keeping the night dark explain why.