The 2026 Perseid meteor shower’s listed radiant has a declination of +58°.
Declination is the celestial equivalent of latitude: it measures how far north or south an object or sky position lies relative to the celestial equator. The plus sign means the Perseid radiant is in the northern celestial hemisphere, matching the shower’s strong visibility from northern regions.
The radiant is the apparent point from which the meteors seem to stream. It is a perspective effect, not the physical location where the meteoroids begin. Earth moves through dust released by Comet 109P/Swift–Tuttle, and the meteors’ paths appear to trace back toward Perseus.
A common mix-up is confusing declination with right ascension. The 2026 listing gives both coordinates: a right ascension of 48° and a declination of +58°. Right ascension measures position around the celestial equator, while declination measures position north or south of it.