Italy · 44° N
The next meteor shower over Florence is the Draconids.
Peak night is October 8, 2026.
Don't miss the next peak over Florence.
Free — one push the evening a shower peaks, and only when the sky is clear.
The peak night in Florence
Draconids, night of October 8 – 9. Every number below is computed for Florence’s exact coordinates and clock — not copied from a generic almanac.
Computed 2026-08-21 · times shown for Europe/Rome
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 Florence, with the radiant topping out at 61.4° and the moon at 4%, here is the honest hourly range by where you stand:
The radiant over Florence, 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 Florence
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 Florence
Ranked by how good each one will actually look from Florence 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, 2027PeakPoorVisibility
- PerseidsThe Northern Hemisphere's favouriteAugust 13, 2027PeakFairVisibility
Why the view from Florence is different
Florence sits at 44°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 Florence, month by month
The whole year from Florence’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 Florence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | Poor |
| 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 Florence and this year’s geometry — not copied from a fixed almanac that ages badly.
Second, latitude is destiny. From 44°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 Florence’s rooftops. When the table disagrees with a headline, trust the table — it knows where you live.
Where to watch near Florence
For the Draconids, the radiant climbs the northwest sky over Florence and tops out at 61.4°, 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 Florence
Point the camera 40–60° away from the radiant — northwest of Florence 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 Florence
From Florence the sky keeps improving for about 32 km — that is where the glow around you falls to a twentieth of what it is over the city centre. Thirty kilometres out already puts you at roughly 5% of the city-centre glow, so an evening drive genuinely changes what you can see.
Direction matters as much as distance. At the same range the sky south of the city sits at about 2% of the centre, while west is still 11% — 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.
- Osservatorio Astronomico Beppe Forti18 km west · sky glow 11% of the city centre
Opens on 10, 11 and 12 August for the Perseids, with telescopes and expert guides so you have a sanctioned place to be outdoors after dark.
- Monte Morello79 km north · sky glow 9% of the city centre
The nearest genuinely open ridge to Florence, reachable comfortably by car from Sesto Fiorentino, with a broad horizon away from the worst of the city's glow.
Measured from: VIIRS VNL 2025 (Earth Observation Group) · © OpenStreetMap contributors
Reading the numbers — More on this in the guide
Common questions about Florence
When is the next meteor shower in Florence?+
The Draconids, peaking on the night of October 8, 2026 local time.
What's the best meteor shower to watch from Florence this year?+
The Geminids — its radiant climbs highest above Florence'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 Florence?+
During the Draconids peak, expect roughly 2–4 meteors an hour from Florence’s suburbs, 1–2 from the bright city core, and 4–10 under a properly dark sky within driving distance. The gap is light pollution, not the shower.
Where in the sky should I look from Florence?+
Face roughly northwest. The Draconids radiant stands highest over Florence around 20:19, reaching 61.4° — but don’t stare straight at it: the longest trails appear 40–60° to either side.
Will the moon spoil the Draconids from Florence?+
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 Florence 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 Florence specifically — what’s falling, the best window, and whether the clouds will allow any of it.
How many meteor showers can you see from Florence?+
Of the eleven major annual showers, 11 are visible from Florence'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 Florence 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.
Meteor showers in nearby cities
Get alerts for Florence
We'll tell you the evening a shower is worth watching from Florence — and only when the sky is actually clear.