United States · 29° N
The next meteor shower over San Antonio is the Draconids.
Peak night is October 7, 2026.
Don't miss the next peak over San Antonio.
Free — one push the evening a shower peaks, and only when the sky is clear.
The peak night in San Antonio
Draconids, night of October 7 – 8. Every number below is computed for San Antonio’s exact coordinates and clock — not copied from a generic almanac.
Computed 2026-08-21 · times shown for America/Chicago
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 San Antonio, with the radiant topping out at 52.3° and the moon at 4%, here is the honest hourly range by where you stand:
The radiant over San Antonio, 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 San Antonio
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 San Antonio
Ranked by how good each one will actually look from San Antonio 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 13, 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 12, 2027PeakFairVisibility
Why the view from San Antonio is different
San Antonio sits at 29°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 San Antonio, month by month
The whole year from San Antonio’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 San Antonio |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 12, 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 13, 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 San Antonio and this year’s geometry — not copied from a fixed almanac that ages badly.
Second, latitude is destiny. From 29°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 San Antonio’s rooftops. When the table disagrees with a headline, trust the table — it knows where you live.
Where to watch near San Antonio
For the Draconids, the radiant climbs the northwest sky over San Antonio and tops out at 52.3°, 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 San Antonio
Point the camera 40–60° away from the radiant — northwest of San Antonio 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 San Antonio
From San Antonio 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 west of the city sits at about <1% of the centre, while northeast is still 4% — 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.
- Enchanted Rock State Natural Area125 km north-northwest · sky glow <1% of the city centre
The closest International Dark Sky Park to San Antonio, roughly 90 miles away and Bortle 3, and you can reserve night access to stay past 10 p.m. for stargazing or camping.
- Lost Maples State Natural Area115 km west-northwest · sky glow <1% of the city centre
A dark Hill Country site west of San Antonio where the San Antonio Astronomical Association runs public star parties with the park.
- South Llano River State Park169 km northwest · sky glow <1% of the city centre
A Bortle 3 International Dark Sky Park near Junction that runs monthly star parties and sells a night activity add-on so you can stay past 10 p.m.
Measured from: VIIRS VNL 2025 (Earth Observation Group)
Reading the numbers — More on this in the guide
Common questions about San Antonio
When is the next meteor shower in San Antonio?+
The Draconids, peaking on the night of October 7, 2026 local time.
What's the best meteor shower to watch from San Antonio this year?+
The Geminids — its radiant climbs highest above San Antonio'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 San Antonio?+
During the Draconids peak, expect roughly 2–4 meteors an hour from San Antonio’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 San Antonio?+
Face roughly northwest. The Draconids radiant stands highest over San Antonio around 20:30, reaching 52.3° — but don’t stare straight at it: the longest trails appear 40–60° to either side.
Will the moon spoil the Draconids from San Antonio?+
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 San Antonio 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 San Antonio specifically — what’s falling, the best window, and whether the clouds will allow any of it.
How many meteor showers can you see from San Antonio?+
Of the eleven major annual showers, 11 are visible from San Antonio'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 San Antonio 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 San Antonio
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