The peak night in Tel Aviv
Draconids, night of October 8 – 9. Every number below is computed for Tel Aviv’s exact coordinates and clock — not copied from a generic almanac.
Computed 2026-08-21 · times shown for Asia/Jerusalem
Sources: International Meteor Organization · IAU Meteor Data Center · astronomy-engine v2.1.19
How many meteors you’ll actually count
ZHR 10 is the laboratory number. From Tel Aviv, with the radiant topping out at 54.4° and the moon at 4%, here is the honest hourly range by where you stand:
The radiant over Tel Aviv, hour by hour
How high the Draconids radiant climbs through the peak night. The higher it gets, the more of the shower clears the horizon — plan your session around the gold marker.
Tonight over Tel Aviv
A live check for the coming night: what’s falling, when it’s worth being outside, and whether the weather will let you see any of it.
Computing tonight’s sky…
This year's meteor showers from Tel Aviv
Ranked by how good each one will actually look from Tel Aviv this year — radiant altitude, moon, and rate all factored in.
- DraconidsAn evening shower with rare stormsOctober 8, 2026PeakFairVisibility
- OrionidsBright autumn meteors from HalleyOctober 21, 2026PeakPoorVisibility
- TauridsThe Halloween fireballsNovember 5, 2026PeakFairVisibility
- LeonidsThe fastest meteors of allNovember 17, 2026PeakPoorVisibility
- GeminidsThe best shower of the yearDecember 14, 2026PeakExcellentVisibility
- UrsidsA quiet solstice showerDecember 22, 2026PeakPoorVisibility
- QuadrantidsA brief, sharp new-year peakJanuary 3, 2027PeakExcellentVisibility
- LyridsThe oldest recorded showerApril 22, 2027PeakPoorVisibility
- Eta AquariidsFast dawn meteors from Halley's CometMay 6, 2027PeakPoorVisibility
- Southern Delta AquariidsA steady stream through late JulyJuly 30, 2027PeakFairVisibility
- PerseidsThe Northern Hemisphere's favouriteAugust 13, 2027PeakFairVisibility
Why the view from Tel Aviv is different
Tel Aviv sits at 32°N. Showers with a far-northern radiant climb high overhead here, while some southern-sky showers barely clear the horizon or don't rise at all.
Meteor showers in Tel Aviv, month by month
The whole year from Tel Aviv’s latitude at a glance — each month’s headline shower, its peak night, and how the moon treats it. Quiet months are shown honestly: part of the sky’s calendar is simply empty, and knowing that saves you cold nights.
| Month | Headline shower | Peak night | Moon at peak | From Tel Aviv |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Quadrantids | January 3, 2027 | 14% | Excellent |
| February | Quiet — sporadic meteors only | |||
| March | Quiet — sporadic meteors only | |||
| April | Lyrids | April 22, 2027 | 96% | Poor |
| May | Eta Aquariids | May 6, 2027 | 0% | Poor |
| June | Quiet — sporadic meteors only | |||
| July | Southern Delta Aquariids | July 30, 2027 | 13% | Fair |
| August | Perseids | August 13, 2027 | 84% | Fair |
| September | Quiet — sporadic meteors only | |||
| October | Orionids | October 21, 2026 | 75% | Poor |
| November | Leonids | November 17, 2026 | 51% | Poor |
| December | Geminids | December 14, 2026 | 22% | Excellent |
Two patterns in the table are worth a second look. First, the moon column reshuffles the year every year: a shower that fought a full moon last season may get a black sky this one. That is why the ratings above are computed fresh for Tel Aviv and this year’s geometry — not copied from a fixed almanac that ages badly.
Second, latitude is destiny. From 32°N, some radiants simply ride higher than others ever can, and a modest shower with a well-placed radiant will quietly outperform a famous one that never clears Tel Aviv’s rooftops. When the table disagrees with a headline, trust the table — it knows where you live.
Where to watch near Tel Aviv
For the Draconids, the radiant climbs the northwest sky over Tel Aviv and tops out at 54.4°, so pick a spot where that direction is open to the horizon. Then look slightly away from it — trails appear longest 40–60° to either side of the radiant. Give your eyes twenty minutes to adapt, keep the phone dim, and dress a season warmer than the forecast suggests: meteor watching is sitting still outdoors at night.
Photographing meteors over Tel Aviv
Point the camera 40–60° away from the radiant — northwest of Tel Aviv on the peak night — so the trails cross your frame at their longest. Keep some foreground in shot: a treeline or a skyline anchors the picture. Moonlight is the main spoiler; with the moon at 4% on the Draconids peak, the sky is yours — expose freely.
Where to go from Tel Aviv
From Tel Aviv the sky keeps improving for about 62 km — that is where the glow around you falls to a twentieth of what it is over the city centre. Thirty kilometres out you are still at roughly 11% of the city-centre glow — which is why a quick run to the edge of town helps far less here than people expect.
Direction matters as much as distance. At the same range the sky west of the city sits at about <1% of the centre, while northeast is still 10% — the same drive, several times the difference.
Distance is straight-line from the city centre; by road expect roughly a fifth to a third more. Check access and opening hours before you set out — some reserves close at dusk.
Where people actually go
Places near here that people genuinely use for meteor watching — dark-sky parks, observatories with public evenings, campgrounds where staying out all night is allowed. Each one was checked against what its manager publishes, because a park being dark and a park being open at 2 a.m. are two different facts.
- מערות חזן64 km south · sky glow 12% of the city centre
A big, comfortable roadside parking area south of Kiryat Gat, about an hour from Tel Aviv on paved roads, and the darkest of the regular central-Israel observing sites.
- פארק בריטניה46 km south-southeast · sky glow 13% of the city centre
45 minutes from Tel Aviv on paved roads, with a large clearing where amateur astronomers regularly observe and few other visitors turn up at night.
- מערות לוזית46 km south-southeast · sky glow 9% of the city centre
A small, level parking bay in the southern part of British Park, screened from lights and slightly darker than the main site — good for one car-load of people.
Measured from: VIIRS VNL 2025 (Earth Observation Group) · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Reading the numbers — More on this in the guide
Common questions about Tel Aviv
When is the next meteor shower in Tel Aviv?+
The Draconids, peaking on the night of October 8, 2026 local time.
What's the best meteor shower to watch from Tel Aviv this year?+
The Geminids — its radiant climbs highest above Tel Aviv's horizon this year with the least moonlight in the way, so it's the best bet for peak rates.
How many meteors will I actually see from Tel Aviv?+
During the Draconids peak, expect roughly 2–4 meteors an hour from Tel Aviv’s suburbs, 1–2 from the bright city core, and 4–9 under a properly dark sky within driving distance. The gap is light pollution, not the shower.
Where in the sky should I look from Tel Aviv?+
Face roughly northwest. The Draconids radiant stands highest over Tel Aviv around 19:38, reaching 54.4° — but don’t stare straight at it: the longest trails appear 40–60° to either side.
Will the moon spoil the Draconids from Tel Aviv?+
On the peak night the moon is 4% lit (waning crescent). Dark enough that moonlight won’t be the limiting factor — sky quality and clouds will decide your night.
Is anything visible from Tel Aviv tonight, before the peak?+
Usually yes. Showers run for days to weeks around their maximum, and the sporadic background adds a few meteors an hour on any dark night. The “Tonight” panel above computes the coming night for Tel Aviv specifically — what’s falling, the best window, and whether the clouds will allow any of it.
How many meteor showers can you see from Tel Aviv?+
Of the eleven major annual showers, 11 are visible from Tel Aviv's latitude this year, though cloud cover and moonlight decide how many meteors you'll actually count on any given night.
Do I need to leave Tel Aviv to see a meteor shower?+
You don't need to, but it helps a lot. City light pollution washes out all but the brightest meteors — driving even 30–45 minutes to a darker sky can turn a handful of sightings into dozens.
