When is the next meteor shower in Pietermaritzburg?
Next: the Taurids, best Thursday 5–6 November
Best window 10:00 pm–3:00 am, with the radiant 45° up and about 7 meteors an hour from a dark site near Pietermaritzburg. Strongest this year from here: Geminids (about 45 an hour), Eta Aquariids (about 35 an hour), Leonids (about 7 an hour).
Every peak of the coming year
| Shower | Best night | Best time | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taurids | Thu 5–6 Nov | 10:00 pm–3:00 am | 7 |
| Leonids | Tue 17–18 Nov | 3:00 am–4:00 am | 7 |
| Geminids | Mon 14–15 Dec | 11:30 pm–3:50 am | 45 |
| Ursids | Mon 21–22 Dec | Radiant below the horizon | – |
| Quadrantids | Sat 2–3 Jan | Radiant below the horizon | – |
| Lyrids | Thu 22–23 Apr | 2:10 am–5:30 am | 3 |
| Eta Aquariids | Wed 5–6 May | 4:20 am–5:40 am | 35 |
| Perseids | Thu 12–13 Aug | 5:00 am–5:50 am | 5 |
| Orionids | Fri 22–23 Oct | 12:30 am–4:20 am | 6 |
* Estimated meteors per hour at the best time from a dark site under a clear sky (ZHR × radiant height × Moon). From a town expect a third or less. Rates vary from year to year; weather is not forecast.
Tonight
The Southern Taurids are at their peak; at 12:30 am the radiant is 45° up. Moon 19% lit, rises 2:40 am. Dark sky 7:20 pm–4:10 am.
| Active shower | Best time | Per hour* |
|---|---|---|
| Southern Taurids | 10:00 pm–3:00 am | 5 |
| Northern Taurids | 10:10 pm–2:50 am | 1 |
| Orionids | 1:10 am–4:10 am | under 1 |
* Estimated meteors per hour at the best time from a dark site under a clear sky (ZHR × radiant height × Moon). From a town expect a third or less. Rates vary from year to year; weather is not forecast.
Meteor showers from Pietermaritzburg
Pietermaritzburg is at 29.6°S. From the southern hemisphere, the northern showers sit low: the Quadrantids and Ursids do not rise at all in the dark, and the Perseids barely clear the horizon. The Eta Aquariids, Orionids and Geminids work well. Poor or not visible from here: Ursids, Quadrantids.
The best night is the local night that contains the shower's peak, or the one after if the peak falls in daylight here; the best time is when the radiant is highest in a dark sky and the Moon least in the way. Rates assume a dark site with a clear sky, so read them as an upper end.
Questions
When is the next meteor shower in Pietermaritzburg?
The Taurids: best on the night of Thursday 5–6 November, 10:00 pm–3:00 am local time, about 7 an hour from a dark site.
What is the best meteor shower to see from Pietermaritzburg?
Computed for this year, with this year's Moon: Geminids about 45 an hour on Mon 14–15 Dec; Eta Aquariids about 35 an hour on Wed 5–6 May; Leonids about 7 an hour on Tue 17–18 Nov.
Where can I see meteors near Pietermaritzburg?
Anywhere away from Pietermaritzburg's lights with a wide view of the sky. Even 30–60 minutes' drive out of town can triple what you see. We do not forecast clouds: check your local forecast.
Also over Pietermaritzburg
Nearby cities
Dates, peak times, ZHR and radiant positions: International Meteor Organization, Meteor Shower Calendar 2026 and 2027 (J. Rendtel, ed.), working list of visual meteor showers. Where the IMO gives no peak time, it is the moment the Sun reaches the listed solar longitude. Darkness, Moon and radiant height computed with Skyfield and JPL DE440. Hourly rates are our estimates from the ZHR and are uncertain; real rates vary from year to year. We do not forecast clouds.