United States · 26° N

The next meteor shower over Miami is the Draconids.

Peak night is October 8, 2026.

Don't miss the next peak over Miami.

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

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Peak in Miami time
12:13
Radiant altitude
49.4°
Moon
4%
Visibility
Fair

The peak night in Miami

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

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

Peak
12:13October 8 – 9
Dark window
20:16–06:00fully dark sky
Best window
20:30–06:00
Radiant
northwest · 49.4°
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 Miami, with the radiant topping out at 49.4° 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
4–9/hr

The radiant over Miami, 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 Miami, hour by hour30°60°max 49° · 20:1620:1601:0806:00

Tonight over Miami

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 Miami

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

Why the view from Miami is different

Miami sits at 26°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 Miami, month by month

The whole year from Miami’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 Miami
JanuaryQuadrantidsJanuary 3, 202714%Good
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%Fair
SeptemberQuiet — sporadic meteors only
OctoberOrionidsOctober 21, 202675%Poor
NovemberLeonidsNovember 17, 202651%Poor
DecemberGeminidsDecember 13, 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 Miami and this year’s geometry — not copied from a fixed almanac that ages badly.

Second, latitude is destiny. From 26°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 Miami’s rooftops. When the table disagrees with a headline, trust the table — it knows where you live.

Where to watch near Miami

For the Draconids, the radiant climbs the northwest sky over Miami and tops out at 49.4°, 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.

More on this in the guide

Photographing meteors over Miami

Point the camera 40–60° away from the radiant — northwest of Miami 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 Miami

From Miami the sky keeps improving for about 42 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 10% 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 southeast of the city sits at about <1% of the centre, while north is still 20% — 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.

  • Big Cypress National Preserve
    93 km west-northwest · sky glow <1% of the city centre

    An International Dark Sky Place west of Miami with some of the last protected night skies in Florida, drive-up campgrounds and ranger-led astronomy programmes.

    Source

  • Everglades National Park
    82 km west-southwest · sky glow <1% of the city centre

    About an hour from Homestead, with minimal light pollution and wide open horizons; local press names it the closest serious dark-sky option to Miami.

    Source

Measured from: VIIRS VNL 2025 (Earth Observation Group)

Reading the numbersMore on this in the guide

Common questions about Miami

When is the next meteor shower in Miami?+

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

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

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

During the Draconids peak, expect roughly 1–3 meteors an hour from Miami’s suburbs, 1–1 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 Miami?+

Face roughly northwest. The Draconids radiant stands highest over Miami around 20:16, reaching 49.4° — but don’t stare straight at it: the longest trails appear 40–60° to either side.

Will the moon spoil the Draconids from Miami?+

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

How many meteor showers can you see from Miami?+

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