September Lyncids
Peak: September 12
The September Lyncids are active approximately September 4–19, with their maximum around September 12.
The expected rate is low, around five meteors per hour under ideal conditions, and this is considered a minor shower.
But 2026 gives us a beautiful advantage.
The peak occurs essentially at New Moon.
No lunar interference.
The radiant lies in Lynx, high in the northern sky for observers at mid-to-high Northern Hemisphere latitudes.
The meteors are also fast, entering the atmosphere at roughly 59 kilometres per second.
Will this produce a spectacular storm?
No.
Should you expect dozens of meteors every hour?
Absolutely not.
Is it worth knowing about if you are already outside under a moonless September sky?
Definitely.
That is exactly what this guide is for.
🌌 WHAT ABOUT THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE?
The meteor showers highlighted this week strongly favour northern observers because their radiants lie well north of the celestial equator.
But Southern Hemisphere observers get something northern observers can only be jealous of.
The Magellanic Clouds.
The Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud are neighbouring dwarf galaxies visible from southern skies, and moonless September nights are wonderful for exploring them.
Also look for:
⭐ 47 Tucanae
⭐ Carina Nebula
⭐ Southern Cross
⭐ Centaurus
⭐ Rich southern Milky Way star fields
New Moon darkness improves all of them.
🪐 PLANET WATCH
September’s planetary sky is becoming increasingly interesting.
🪐 Saturn
Saturn is approaching opposition in October, which means it is rising earlier and becoming available for longer portions of the night.
This is an excellent time to begin observing it.
Even a small telescope can reveal the rings.
I always feel slightly ridiculous describing Saturn through a telescope because photographs have made us so familiar with its appearance that we forget how absurd it is to actually see those rings with our own eyes.
It looks fake.
It looks like somebody placed a tiny Saturn sticker inside the telescope.
Then you move the telescope slightly and realise the tiny ringed world moves with the sky.
That first view is unforgettable.
🔵 Neptune
Neptune is approaching opposition later in September and is becoming increasingly well placed.
You will need optical aid.
Binoculars may locate the correct field from dark skies, but a telescope and accurate star chart are far more useful.
Do not expect Voyager photographs.
Expect a tiny blue-grey point.
Then remember that the point is an entire planet almost 4.5 billion kilometres from the Sun.
Context does a lot of heavy lifting in astronomy.
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
For much of the United States, this is an excellent week for astronomy.
The September Epsilon Perseid peak on September 9 benefits from very little moonlight.
Northern states have the radiant particularly well placed.
New Moon occurs during the late evening of September 10 in U.S. time zones, meaning Thursday night into Friday morning provides superb dark-sky conditions.
If you can escape city lights on September 10–12, do it.
Andromeda, the Double Cluster and the Milky Way are excellent targets.
🇨🇦 CANADA
Canada gets particularly favourable geometry for both meteor showers because Perseus and Lynx climb high in northern skies.
The New Moon weekend provides excellent conditions for rural observing.
Temperatures are also becoming cooler without yet reaching the stage where touching a metal telescope tripod becomes a decision you immediately regret.
September really is one of Canada’s underrated astronomy months.
🇬🇧 UNITED KINGDOM
The nights are getting properly long again.
Both the September Epsilon Perseids and September Lyncids are well positioned from British latitudes, and New Moon removes one of the biggest obstacles to seeing faint meteors.
The obvious obstacle remains British weather.
I cannot help you with that.
Check the forecast, keep several nights available and take whichever clear window you get.
🇮🇸 ICELAND
Now we are talking.
This is the kind of week I wait for all summer.
The New Moon arrives at approximately 3:27 AM Iceland time on September 11, and by this point we finally have genuine dark skies again.
The meteor radiants are beautifully placed from Iceland’s latitude.
Andromeda climbs high.
Cassiopeia becomes impossible to miss.
The Double Cluster is superb.
And if you drive away from Reykjavík’s lights on a clear night, the Milky Way begins showing the kind of structure that reminds you how badly urban lighting has trained us to underestimate the night sky.
I would choose September 10, 11 or 12 for a proper dark-sky trip, depending on cloud.
And yes, I would check the cloud forecast approximately every seventeen minutes beforehand because apparently that is what living in Iceland has turned me into.
🇦🇺 AUSTRALIA
The two northern meteor showers are poorly positioned from much of Australia, so I would not sell this as a meteor week for Australian readers.
Instead, take advantage of the New Moon.
Southern deep-sky objects are the real prize.
The Magellanic Clouds, 47 Tucanae, southern Milky Way fields and numerous bright nebulae benefit enormously from the absence of moonlight.
