Philippines · 15° N

The next meteor shower over Manila is the Draconids.

Peak night is October 8, 2026.

Don't miss the next peak over Manila.

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

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
Peak in Manila time
00:13
Radiant altitude
40.1°
Moon
4%
Visibility
Poor

The peak night in Manila

Draconids, night of October 8 – 9. Every number below is computed for Manila’s exact coordinates and clock — not copied from a generic almanac.

Computed 2026-08-21 · times shown for Asia/Manila

Peak
00:13October 8 – 9
Dark window
18:51–04:35fully dark sky
Best window
19:00–04:30
Radiant
north-northwest · 40.1°
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 Manila, with the radiant topping out at 40.1° and the moon at 4%, here is the honest hourly range by where you stand:

City sky
1–1/hr
Suburbs
1–3/hr
Dark site
3–7/hr

The radiant over Manila, 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 Manila, hour by hour30°60°max 40° · 18:5118:5123:4304:35

Tonight over Manila

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 Manila

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

Why the view from Manila is different

Manila sits at 15°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 Manila, month by month

The whole year from Manila’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 Manila
JanuaryQuadrantidsJanuary 4, 202714%Good
FebruaryQuiet — sporadic meteors only
MarchQuiet — sporadic meteors only
AprilLyridsApril 23, 202796%Poor
MayEta AquariidsMay 6, 20270%Fair
JuneQuiet — sporadic meteors only
JulySouthern Delta AquariidsJuly 30, 202713%Fair
AugustPerseidsAugust 13, 202784%Fair
SeptemberQuiet — sporadic meteors only
OctoberOrionidsOctober 21, 202675%Poor
NovemberLeonidsNovember 17, 202651%Poor
DecemberGeminidsDecember 14, 202622%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 Manila and this year’s geometry — not copied from a fixed almanac that ages badly.

Second, latitude is destiny. From 15°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 Manila’s rooftops. When the table disagrees with a headline, trust the table — it knows where you live.

Where to watch near Manila

For the Draconids, the radiant climbs the north-northwest sky over Manila and tops out at 40.1°, 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 Manila

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

From Manila the sky keeps improving for about 38 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 7% 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 northeast of the city sits at about <1% of the centre, while south is still 6% — the same drive, several times the difference.

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.

  • Treasure Mountain, Tanay
    40 km east · sky glow 3% of the city centre

    A 505 m hilltop campsite about two hours east of the metro that takes overnight guests from 4 pm with tents and huts for hire, and is specifically sold on its dark, star-filled sky over the Sierra Madre.

    Source

  • Big Handy's Grounds, Tanay
    40 km east · sky glow 3% of the city centre

    A private farm in Barangay Cuyambay where the Philippine Astronomical Society runs overnight observing camps, so the night is the whole point, but there is a strict no-walk-in rule and you must book with them first.

    Source

Measured from: VIIRS VNL 2025 (Earth Observation Group)

Reading the numbersMore on this in the guide

Common questions about Manila

When is the next meteor shower in Manila?+

The Draconids, peaking on the night of October 8, 2026 local time.

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

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

During the Draconids peak, expect roughly 1–3 meteors an hour from Manila’s suburbs, 1–1 from the bright city core, and 3–7 under a properly dark sky within driving distance. The gap is light pollution, not the shower.

Where in the sky should I look from Manila?+

Face roughly north-northwest. The Draconids radiant stands highest over Manila around 18:51, reaching 40.1° — but don’t stare straight at it: the longest trails appear 40–60° to either side.

Will the moon spoil the Draconids from Manila?+

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

How many meteor showers can you see from Manila?+

Of the eleven major annual showers, 11 are visible from Manila'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 Manila 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 Manila

We'll tell you the evening a shower is worth watching from Manila — and only when the sky is actually clear.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play