Peru · 12° S

The next meteor shower over Lima is the Draconids.

Peak night is October 7, 2026.

Don't miss the next peak over Lima.

Free — one push the evening a shower peaks, and only when the sky is clear.

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Peak in Lima time
11:13
Radiant altitude
14.7°
Moon
4%
Visibility
Poor

The peak night in Lima

Draconids, night of October 7 – 8. Every number below is computed for Lima’s exact coordinates and clock — not copied from a generic almanac.

Computed 2026-08-21 · times shown for America/Lima

Peak
11:13October 7 – 8
Dark window
19:15–04:35fully dark sky
Best window
19:30–04:30
Radiant
north-northwest · 14.7°
Moon
4%waning crescent
Peak rate (ZHR)
10/hr
Speed
20km/s
Radiant constellation
Draco

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 Lima, with the radiant topping out at 14.7° and the moon at 4%, here is the honest hourly range by where you stand:

City sky
0–1/hr
Suburbs
1–1/hr
Dark site
1–3/hr

The radiant over Lima, 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.

The radiant over Lima, hour by hour30°60°max 15° · 19:1519:1523:5504:35

Tonight over Lima

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 Lima

Ranked by how good each one will actually look from Lima this year — radiant altitude, moon, and rate all factored in.

Why the view from Lima is different

Lima sits at 12°S. Showers with a far-southern radiant climb high overhead here, while some northern-sky showers barely clear the horizon or don't rise at all.

Meteor showers in Lima, month by month

The whole year from Lima’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.

MonthHeadline showerPeak nightMoon at peakFrom Lima
JanuaryQuadrantidsJanuary 3, 202714%Not visible
FebruaryQuiet — sporadic meteors only
MarchQuiet — sporadic meteors only
AprilLyridsApril 22, 202796%Poor
MayEta AquariidsMay 6, 20270%Fair
JuneQuiet — sporadic meteors only
JulySouthern Delta AquariidsJuly 30, 202713%Fair
AugustPerseidsAugust 12, 202784%Poor
SeptemberQuiet — sporadic meteors only
OctoberOrionidsOctober 21, 202675%Poor
NovemberLeonidsNovember 17, 202651%Poor
DecemberGeminidsDecember 13, 202622%Good

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 Lima and this year’s geometry — not copied from a fixed almanac that ages badly.

Second, latitude is destiny. From 12°S, 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 Lima’s rooftops. When the table disagrees with a headline, trust the table — it knows where you live.

Where to watch near Lima

For the Draconids, the radiant climbs the north-northwest sky over Lima and tops out at 14.7°, 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.

More on this in the guide

Photographing meteors over Lima

Point the camera 40–60° away from the radiant — north-northwest of Lima 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.

More on this in the guide

Where to go from Lima

From Lima the sky keeps improving for about 28 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 3% of the city-centre glow, so an evening drive genuinely changes what you can see.

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.

  • Marcahuasi
    59 km east-northeast · sky glow <1% of the city centre

    Plateau above 4,000 m in the Lima highlands with no artificial light, the classic local star-watching spot, but reached only by a roughly two-hour walk up from San Pedro de Casta.

    Source

  • Planetario de Lima, Chorrillos
    13 km south · sky glow 23% of the city centre

    The Peruvian Astronomy Association's observatory on the Morro Solar keeps working refractor and reflector telescopes and takes group bookings, so ask them rather than turning up unannounced.

    Source

Measured from: VIIRS VNL 2025 (Earth Observation Group)

Reading the numbersMore on this in the guide

Common questions about Lima

When is the next meteor shower in Lima?+

The Draconids, peaking on the night of October 7, 2026 local time.

What's the best meteor shower to watch from Lima this year?+

The Geminids — its radiant climbs highest above Lima'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 Lima?+

During the Draconids peak, expect roughly 1–1 meteors an hour from Lima’s suburbs, 0–1 from the bright city core, and 1–3 under a properly dark sky within driving distance. The gap is light pollution, not the shower.

Where in the sky should I look from Lima?+

Face roughly north-northwest. The Draconids radiant stands highest over Lima around 19:15, reaching 14.7° — but don’t stare straight at it: the longest trails appear 40–60° to either side.

Will the moon spoil the Draconids from Lima?+

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 Lima 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 Lima specifically — what’s falling, the best window, and whether the clouds will allow any of it.

How many meteor showers can you see from Lima?+

Of the eleven major annual showers, 9 are visible from Lima'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 Lima 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

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