Southern Delta Aquariids 2026: peak night & viewing forecast

Broad summer shower, mostly faint meteors — dark skies and good transparency matter a lot for this one.

See the live viewing map for the Southern Delta Aquariids

Key facts

Peak night (2026)
Wed, Jul 29
Active period
Sun, Jul 12Sun, Aug 23
ZHR (ideal-sky ceiling)
25/hr
Moon on peak night
🌕 100%
Meteor speed
41 km/s
Parent body
96P/Machholz (probable)

Frequently asked

When do the Southern Delta Aquariids peak in 2026?

The Southern Delta Aquariids reach maximum activity on the night of Wed, Jul 29, 2026 (computed from the shower's solar-longitude peak, the method the International Meteor Organization uses). The shower is active from Sun, Jul 12 to Sun, Aug 23.

How many meteors will I actually see?

The often-quoted ZHR of 25 is a theoretical ceiling (perfectly dark sky, radiant overhead). Real counts depend on your sky: from a dark-sky site expect a meaningful fraction of that; from a suburb, far fewer. Meteorcast computes the expected visible rate for your exact spot and night.

What about the moon during the 2026 peak?

The moon is 100% illuminated on the peak night — close to full — only the brightest meteors will punch through.

Where should I watch from?

Somewhere dark, with an open sky and clear weather. Use the live map to compare cloud forecast, air transparency, and light pollution anywhere in North America, and to find ranked dark-sky sites near you.

Other meteor showers

Peak times computed from the shower's solar longitude (IMO method) with precession correction; moon illumination from high-precision ephemeris. Forecasts on the live map combine ECMWF, GFS, and ICON weather models with smoke, transparency, and light-pollution analysis.