The Year's Best Meteor Shower Is Coming to the Quad Cities

Look up, Quad Cities! One of the year’s biggest meteor showers is coming up this August.

What is the Perseid Meteor Shower?

The Perseids are one of the most popular meteor showers of the year. They happen when Earth passes through debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle. As those tiny bits of comet dust enter our atmosphere, they burn up and create the "shooting stars" we see.

When is it happening?

The shower is already active and runs from July 17 through August 24, but the peak will occur on the night of August 12 into the early morning of August 13.

Will Quad Cities Be Able To See It?

Yes. The Quad Cities are in an excellent part of the country for viewing the Perseids because the shower is best seen from the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, 2026 is expected to be one of the better years in recent memory because the peak occurs during a new moon, meaning very dark skies and little moonlight interference.

How Many Meteors Might We See?

Under dark skies away from city lights, observers could see 50 to 75 meteors per hour, with some forecasts suggesting even higher rates. Bright "fireballs" are also possible.

Best Viewing Tips For The Quad Cities:

Go out after midnight and before dawn for the best show.
Get away from city lights if possible.
Give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.
No telescope or binoculars are needed.

For Quad Cities residents, darker areas away from city lights will provide the best experience. Places near:

Loud Thunder Forest Preserve
Illiniwek Forest Preserve
Scott County Park
Rural areas north of Davenport or east of Geneseo will typically offer much better visibility than watching from downtown Davenport, Moline, or Bettendorf.