Quadrantid Meteor Shower 2027 Peaks the Night of Jan. 3-4, Then the Wolf Moon Jan. 22

The American Meteor Society (AMS) lists the Quadrantid meteor shower’s 2027 peak night as Jan. 3-4 and predicts the peak near 3:30 Universal Time (UT) on Jan. 4. In the United States that is 10:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST) on Sunday, Jan. 3. This story gives the peak time for each U.S. time zone, the Moon’s phase that night and the January full moon, known as the Wolf Moon, on Jan. 22.

Quadrantid peak time in U.S. time zones

The AMS gives its 2027 prediction in UT. Standard time in the continental United States runs five to eight hours behind UT in January, so the peak lands on the evening of Sunday, Jan. 3 on every U.S. mainland clock.

Time zone	Predicted peak (AMS, 2027)
Universal Time (UT)	3:30 a.m., Monday, Jan. 4
Eastern Standard Time (EST)	10:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 3
Central Standard Time (CST)	9:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 3
Mountain Standard Time (MST)	8:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 3
Pacific Standard Time (PST)	7:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 3

Time-zone conversions are Fresh Calendars’ arithmetic from the AMS time. The AMS calls it a prediction, so treat the minute as an estimate.

How long are the Quadrantids active, and how many meteors can you see?

The AMS lists the Quadrantids as active from Dec. 28, 2026 through Jan. 12, 2027, with the peak night on Jan. 3-4. It puts the average hourly rate one can expect under dark skies at 25.

What will the Moon look like at the Quadrantid peak?

Per the U.S. Naval Observatory (USNO), the new moon falls on Thursday, Jan. 7 at 20:24 UT, or 3:24 p.m. EST. At the Quadrantid peak the Moon is a waning crescent about four days before that new moon, so moonlight is low.

January 2027 sky calendar: dates to mark

Date	Event	Source
Sun., Jan. 3 to Mon., Jan. 4	Quadrantid peak night; peak near 10:30 p.m. EST on Jan. 3	AMS
Thu., Jan. 7	New moon, 20:24 UT (3:24 p.m. EST)	USNO
Tue., Jan. 12	Last day of the AMS activity window	AMS
Fri., Jan. 22	Full Moon (Wolf Moon), 12:17 UT (7:17 a.m. EST)	USNO
Fri., Jan. 29	Last quarter, 10:55 UT (5:55 a.m. EST)	USNO

The printable below puts these five dates on one January sheet. You can also mark them on our January printable calendars or the printable yearly calendar.

When is the Wolf Moon in January 2027?

The January full moon, known as the Wolf Moon, is at 12:17 UT on Friday, Jan. 22, 2027, per the USNO. That is 7:17 a.m. EST. Our 2027 full moon calendar lists all twelve full moons of the year.

What comes before the Quadrantids?

For the December 2026 Cold Moon, the Geminids and the solstice, see our supermoon, Beaver Moon and Cold Moon story. For the autumn showers, see November 2026 meteor showers.