Astro-Observer

Meteor showers

September Epsilon Perseid Meteor Shower

By Astro-Observer · Last reviewed November 8, 2026

Active
September 5 – September 21
Peak
Around September 9–10
Peak rate (ZHR)
8
Radiant
Perseus (3h 12m, +40°)
Speed
64 km/s (fast)
Best seen from
Northern Hemisphere
Best time
From late evening, best in the hours before dawn

Next peaks

Expected peak (UTC)Moon at peakMoonlight
September 10, 2027, around 0h Waxing gibbous, 71% lit Bright Moon
September 9, 2028, around 6h Waning gibbous, 77% lit Bright Moon

Computed from the shower's peak solar longitude (λ☉ 166.7°). Real peaks can come a few hours early or late, and you will see meteors on the nights either side. The peak hour may be in daylight where you are; watch the darkest hours of the nearest night.

The September Epsilon Perseids are a minor shower in the first three weeks of September. Rates are low, but the shower has a good share of bright meteors and has produced short surprise bursts. Despite sharing a constellation, it is unrelated to the August Perseids.

Where the meteors come from

No parent comet or asteroid is known. Modelers have assumed a parent on a long orbit of several hundred to about a thousand years, but it has never been found. IMO notes that a steady yearly record of the shower is one of the best ways to pin down that orbit.

When to watch

The shower is active from September 5 to 21 and peaks around September 9 or 10. The table above shows the expected peak time and Moon phase for the next two years. From mid-northern latitudes the radiant is well up by 10 or 11 p.m. and keeps climbing until dawn, so the early morning hours are best.

How to find the radiant

The radiant is in southern Perseus, about a degree from the star Algol. First find Mirfak, the brightest star in Perseus, between Capella and the W of Cassiopeia; Algol is about 9 degrees (a fist at arm's length) south of it. This area is in the northeast in the late evening and nearly overhead before dawn.

What to expect

With the radiant nearly overhead before dawn, you can see close to the full ZHR of about 8: perhaps 5 to 7 an hour from a dark site and 2 or 3 from the suburbs. The meteors are fast, and IMO describes the shower as rich in bright meteors, so expect the occasional striking one.

Viewing tips

  • Start around 11 p.m. and watch until morning twilight.
  • Lie back facing east and look high; meteors appear all around the radiant.
  • Bring a jacket: early September nights turn cool before dawn.
  • Note the time of any bright meteor. Timed reports help IMO study the shower's bursts.

History and notable displays

The shower produced high rates on September 9, 2008, and a very sharp burst of bright meteors in 2013, with no clear repeat since. Before the 2026 return, models by Sato and Vaubaillon gave a weak chance of extra activity on September 10, 2026, near 06h UT. IMO also mentions hints of higher rates in 2040.

About the numbers. The ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) is how many meteors one observer would see in an hour under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. Real counts are almost always lower: under suburban skies, or with the radiant low, expect a half to a quarter of it, or less.

Sources

Checked November 8, 2026.