The 2026 Perseid meteor shower’s main maximum occurs on August 13 from 02:00 to 04:00 Universal Time.
The International Meteor Organization gives this as the predicted maximum for the annual Perseids, whose activity is produced when Earth crosses dust released by Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle. Universal Time provides a common reference independent of local time zones.
The broad peak is often described locally as the night of August 12–13 because the observing date changes at different longitudes. Forecast timing is not an absolute guarantee: meteor rates can vary with location, weather, sky brightness, and the uneven structure of the dust stream.
The 2026 peak is especially notable because it occurs close to the August 12 new Moon and the day’s total solar eclipse, creating unusually dark nighttime viewing conditions.