Radiant describes the point from which the 2026 Perseid meteors appear to radiate.
A meteor-shower radiant is an apparent point on the celestial sphere where the paths of shower meteors seem to converge. The Perseid radiant lies near Perseus, which is why the shower carries that name.
The radiant is not a hole in space and does not mark the exact location of the comet’s debris. The convergence is caused by perspective: particles moving along nearly parallel trajectories appear to come from one direction when viewed from Earth.
Meteor astronomers use the radiant to identify showers and distinguish their meteors from sporadic, unrelated meteors. As Earth rotates, the radiant appears to move across the sky. It usually rises higher after midnight, improving the chances of seeing Perseids in the hours before dawn.