Lunar Meteoritic Impacts Program
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  Impacts Blog
June 2026 Update
6/25/2026

Lunar Lyrid Meteor Candidates

The recent annual Lyrid meteor shower included a lunar watch session. The following are times of lunar Lyrid impact candidates. If you observed during these times, please check your videos for impact flashes to confirm these candidates. If you have a negative observation at this time, also report, because these are important also.

2026 April 22: 21:30:28; 21:40:50; 21:52:15; 22:01:13; 22:05:05; 22:14:37; 22:19:05; 22:20:15; 22:21:46; 22:59:31; 23:03:02.

2026 April 23: 03:01:27; 20:41:01: 20:41:17; 20:41:39; 23:20:20.

Times given are UTC (Coordinated Universal Time).

Two Lunar Meteor Opportunities for August

Activity concerning lunar meteor impacts are rather slow for much of the upcoming summer. The Moon is a waning crescent while the Perseids are active but is new at the peak of this annual meteor shower, 12 August. One week prior to this, the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket is predicted to impact the Moon on 5 August, 2026 at 6:44 UTC. The Moon is near Last Quarter and rises just before midnight local time. The viewing geometry favors the eastern and central parts of North America, all of South America, and the western half of Europe and Africa. At this point, the object is predicted to impact on the (celestial) east limb of the Moon, perhaps producing an impact plume visible with optical aid. To follow the predictions and obtain important updates, check Bill Gray's website: https://www.projectpluto.com/25010d.htm

A little over three weeks later, the deep partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 also offers opportunity to observe lunar meteors in the darkest parts of the eclipsed Moon. The best time interval to observe runs from around 3:12 to 5:12 UT on the 28th. The maximum eclipse of 96.61% happens at 4:12 UT. The northern part of the Moon remains in direct sunlight, so the half away from this would be the location to watch.

Visualizations of Meteor Stream Geometries for Upcoming Lunar Meteor Opportunities

Dr. Detlef Koschny has provided a series of images depicting meteoroid stream geometries for this year. The geometries are found at https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/en/lpe/forschung/mondeinschlagsblitze/meteoroid-stream-geometry/
The white part of each Moon-disk is the part illuminated by the Sun. The blue part of the Moon disk is the part "illuminated" by the meteoroid stream. Based on this information, the following annual meteor showers occur when the Moon is favorably placed for observation: Lyrids (peaking 21 April), Orionids (peaking 21 October), Leonids (peaking 17 November) and the Geminids (peaking 13 December).

Quarterly Briefings and Opportunities to Observe Lunar Meteors

Monthly Observing Campaign for Lunar Meteors

Check out the website: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/impact-flash/ for another opportunity to contribute observations of lunar meteors. This is linked to the Artemis II mission that is currently in progress.

For the ongoing monthly routine observations, the defined start is set at three days after New Moon until two days after First Quarter for the first half. The second half resumes two days before Last Quarter and continues until three days before New Moon. The actual duration of each observing interval will vary due to ecliptic angle, lunar elongation, and observer latitude. I am posting these plans on a quarterly basis, which provides, briefly, the observing schedule along with any meteor showers active during the observing windows. In general, the observations fall into three groups: evening, from three days after New Moon (NM) to two days after First Quarter (FQ); morning, from two days prior to Last Quarter (LQ) to three days prior to New Moon (NM); and significant shower, when the moon is favorably placed (usually during these two intervals) during annual showers (whose names will appear in bold type) with ground-based ZHR’s of 20 or more.

We are about to start the evening campaign as we move through mid-June, as of this writing/update.

  • Interval: 18 – 23 Jun. (NM = 15 Jun.; FQ = 21 Jun.), evening. Only the minor June Bootids stream and the antihelion source are active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 5 – 11 Jul. (LQ = 7 Jul.; NM = 14 Jul.), evening. Only the minor July Pegasids and the antihelion source are active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 17 – 23 Jul. (NM = 14 Jul.; FQ = 21 Jul.), evening. Only two minor showers and the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 15 – 22 Aug.(NM = 12 Aug; FQ = 20 Aug), evening. Components of several minor and moderate showers are active (each peaks outside this interval), with the most notable being the annual Perseids, which peak 13 Aug.
  • Interval: 2 – 8 Sep. (LQ = 4 Sep.; NM = 11 Sep.), morning. Only two minor showers and the antihelion source are active during this time interval.
  • Interval: 14 – 20 Sep. (NM = 11 Sep; FQ = 18 Sep), evening. Only one minor meteor shower and the antihelion source are active during this time.
  • Interval: 1 – 7 Oct. (LQ = 3 Oct; NM = 10 Oct), morning. One minor shower and the annual Draconids are active during this time, with the Draconids peaking on 9 October.
  • Interval: 13 – 20 Oct. (NM = 10 Oct; FQ = 18 Oct), evening. The Orionid meteor shower is active during this time, it peaks on 21 October (ZHR = 20) but it is a broad peak lasting several days.
  • Interval: 31 Oct. – 6 Nov. (LQ = 1 Nov; NM = 9 Nov), morning. The Taurids are active during this time with the southern component peaking 5 November (ZHR = 7) and the northern component peaking 12 November (ZHR = 5). NOTE: the first confirmed lunar meteor observed by NASA, in 2006, was likely a member of the Taurid stream.
As always, check back often for any updates on activity related to any new developments. The full observing plan for lunar meteors for 2026 can be obtained by emailing bmcudnik@gmail.com.
Observing Program for Planetary Meteors Update - June 2026

Jupiter has started leaving the evening sky and will be inaccessible for the next two months or so. More information will be provided when it becomes favorable to observe again later this year. So far, I have not received any reports or seen any news items about anyone observing meteors on Jupiter. However, a recent observation of a dark stain in Jupiter's clouds may point to a recent impact earlier this year. Check it out (with image) at this website.

May 2026 Update
5/10/2026

Two Lunar Meteor Opportunities for August

Activity concerning lunar meteor impacts are rather slow for much of the upcoming summer. The Moon is a waning crescent while the Perseids are active but is new at the peak of this annual meteor shower, 12 August. One week prior to this, the upper stage of a Falcon 9 rocket is predicted to impact the Moon on 5 August, 2026 at 6:44 UTC. The Moon is near Last Quarter and rises just before midnight local time. The viewing geometry favors the eastern and central parts of North America, all of South America, and the western half of Europe and Africa. At this point, the object is predicted to impact on the (celestial) east limb of the Moon, perhaps producing an impact plume visible with optical aid. To follow the predictions and obtain important updates, check Bill Gray's website: https://www.projectpluto.com/25010d.htm

A little over three weeks later, the deep partial lunar eclipse of 28 August 2026 also offers opportunity to observe lunar meteors in the darkest parts of the eclipsed Moon. The best time interval to observe runs from around 3:12 to 5:12 UT on the 28th. The maximum eclipse of 96.61% happens at 4:12 UT. The northern part of the Moon remains in direct sunlight, so the half away from this would be the location to watch.

Visualizations of Meteor Stream Geometries for Upcoming Lunar Meteor Opportunities

Dr. Detlef Koschny has provided a series of images depicting meteoroid stream geometries for this year. The geometries are found at https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/en/lpe/forschung/mondeinschlagsblitze/meteoroid-stream-geometry/

The white part of each Moon-disk is the part illuminated by the Sun. The blue part of the Moon disk is the part "illuminated" by the meteoroid stream. Based on this information, the following annual meteor showers occur when the Moon is favorably placed for observation: Lyrids (peaking 21 April), Orionids (peaking 21 October), Leonids (peaking 17 November) and the Geminids (peaking 13 December).

Quarterly Briefings and Opportunities to Observe Lunar Meteors

Monthly Observing Campaign for Lunar Meteors

Check out the website: https://science.nasa.gov/citizen-science/impact-flash/ for another opportunity to contribute observations of lunar meteors. This is linked to the Artemis II mission that is currently in progress.

For the ongoing monthly routine observations, the defined start is set at three days after New Moon until two days after First Quarter for the first half. The second half resumes two days before Last Quarter and continues until three days before New Moon. The actual duration of each observing interval will vary due to ecliptic angle, lunar elongation, and observer latitude. I am posting these plans on a quarterly basis, which provides, briefly, the observing schedule along with any meteor showers active during the observing windows. In general, the observations fall into three groups: evening, from three days after New Moon (NM) to two days after First Quarter (FQ); morning, from two days prior to Last Quarter (LQ) to three days prior to New Moon (NM); and significant shower, when the moon is favorably placed (usually during these two intervals) during annual showers (whose names will appear in bold type) with ground-based ZHR’s of 20 or more.

We are currently between the evening and morning campaigns going into April.

  • Interval: 7 – 13 May. (LQ = 9 May; NM = 16 May), morning. The eta Aquarid shower (ZHR = 50) peaks only one day prior to this interval, so objects from this stream, in addition to the antihelion source, could generate impact flashes, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 19 – 25 May. (NM = 16 May; FQ = 23 May), evening. Only the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 6 – 12 Jun. (LQ = 8 Jun.; NM = 15 Jun.), evening. Only the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 18 – 23 Jun. (NM = 15 Jun.; FQ = 21 Jun.), evening. Only the minor June Bootids stream and the antihelion source are active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 5 – 11 Jul. (LQ = 7 Jul.; NM = 14 Jul.), evening. Only the minor July Pegasids and the antihelion source are active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 17 – 23 Jul. (NM = 14 Jul.; FQ = 21 Jul.), evening. Only two minor showers and the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
As always, check back often for any updates on activity related to any new developments. The full observing plan for lunar meteors for 2026 can be obtained by emailing bmcudnik@gmail.com.
Observing Program for Planetary Meteors Update - May 2026
Jupiter is now leaning toward the western sky as it gets dark, and the current apparition is drawing to a close. Observers are encouraged to monitor Jupiter via video for as long as they can each evening if possible to record any meteoritic flashes.
April 2026 Update
4/13/2026

Lunar Lyrid Call for Observations

I received the following email from Dr. Detlef concerning an upcoming opportunity to observe the lunar Lyrids. Here is the notice:

"We would like to invite you to observe lunar impact flashes around the peak of the April Lyrid meteoroid stream. On Earth, the peak is on 22 Apr 2026 around 20:00 UT (see https://www.imo.net/resources/calendar/). All of the dark part of the Moon has the Lyrid radiant above the horizon (https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/en/lpe/forschung/mondeinschlagsblitze/meteoroid-stream-geometry/).

While the activity is lower than the Geminids, the expected rate is still roughly four times higher than the sporadic background. We propose to observe the evenings of 21 to 23 April to get some coverage around the peak.

Please upload any observations to our web page at https://lif.mi.imati.cnr.it/ as usual.

Elisa Maria, Tony, Detlef."

Please also report observations to bmcudnik@gmail.com. In order to complete the former, you will need to register via lif.mi.imati.cnr.it. Note that this is both a practice run in preparation to offer support for the upcoming LUMIO mission in 2028 and a real effort to characterize lunar Lyrid activity. The Moon is in a waxing crescent phase with nearly the entire dark part exposed to Lyrid meteoroids.

Visualizations of Meteor Stream Geometries for Upcoming Lunar Meteor Opportunities

Dr. Detlef Koschny has provided a series of images depicting meteoroid stream geometries for this year. The geometries are found at https://www.asg.ed.tum.de/lpe/forschung/mondeinschlagsblitze/meteoroid-stream-geometry/ (please note that the date for the Orionid peak is incorrect, it should be 20 October).

The white part of each Moon-disk is the part illuminated by the Sun. The blue part of the Moon disk is the part "illuminated" by the meteoroid stream. Based on this information, the following annual meteor showers occur when the Moon is favorably placed for observation: Lyrids (peaking 21 April), Orionids (peaking 21 October), Leonids (peaking 17 November) and the Geminids (peaking 13 December).

Quarterly Briefings and Opportunities to Observe Lunar Meteors

Monthly Observing Campaign for Lunar Meteors

For the ongoing monthly routine observations, the defined start is set at three days after New Moon until two days after First Quarter for the first half. The second half resumes two days before Last Quarter and continues until three days before New Moon. The actual duration of each observing interval will vary due to ecliptic angle, lunar elongation, and observer latitude. I am posting these plans on a quarterly basis, which provides, briefly, the observing schedule along with any meteor showers active during the observing windows. In general, the observations fall into three groups: evening, from three days after New Moon (NM) to two days after First Quarter (FQ); morning, from two days prior to Last Quarter (LQ) to three days prior to New Moon (NM); and annual showers, when the moon is favorably placed (usually during these two intervals) during annual showers (whose names will appear in bold type).

We are currently between the evening and morning campaigns going into April.

  • Interval: 8 – 14 Apr. (LQ = 10 Apr.; NM = 17 Apr.), morning. Only the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 20 – 26 Apr. (NM = 17 Apr.; FQ = 24 Apr.), evening. The April Lyrid shower (Peak on 22 April with ground-based ZHR = 18) is active during this time.
  • Interval: 7 – 13 May. (LQ = 9 May; NM = 16 May), morning. The eta Aquarid shower (ZHR = 50) peaks only one day prior to this interval, so objects from this stream, in addition to the antihelion source, could generate impact flashes, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 19 – 25 May. (NM = 16 May; FQ = 23 May), evening. Only the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 6 – 12 Jun. (LQ = 8 Jun.; NM = 15 Jun.), evening. Only the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 18 – 23 Jun. (NM = 15 Jun.; FQ = 21 Jun.), evening. Only the minor June Bootids stream and the antihelion source are active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 5 – 11 Jul. (LQ = 7 Jul.; NM = 14 Jul.), evening. Only the minor July Pegasids and the antihelion source are active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
  • Interval: 17 – 23 Jul. (NM = 14 Jul.; FQ = 21 Jul.), evening. Only two minor showers and the antihelion source is active, along with any background sporadic meteoroid flux.
As always, check back often for any updates on activity related to any new developments. The full observing plan for lunar meteors for 2026 can be obtained by emailing bmcudnik@gmail.com.
Observing Program for Planetary Meteors Update - April 2026
Jupiter is now near quadrature, being situated overhead as darkness falls. It sets by around 1am local time, setting earlier and earlier with each passing week. The window of observation is starting to slowly close. Observers are encouraged to monitor Jupiter via video for as much of the night as possible to record any meteoritic flashes.
"Dress Rehearsal" for LUMIO Support Observations Nets 25 Lunar Geminid Impact Candidates
A trio from Europe and ESA are coordinating ground-based observations of lunar impact flashes (LIFs). My section, the Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search Section of the pro-am group Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, is one of many such entities helping to coordinate ground- based observers. The following is a list of the Geminid LIF candidates as reported from the campaign; those who observed during the 13-15 December campaign and have obtained video are encouraged to (1) check for LIF candidates and (2) check to confirm one (or more) of the below. The time to the nearest second and the location on the Moon (by name rather than latitude/longitude) are presented.
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