It’s time to get outside and look at the night sky: the Eta Aquariid meteor shower is about to peak.
Over May 5 to 6, the sky over the southern tropics will rain the most cosmic dust of the annual event, glittering with light as it burns up on atmospheric entry.
The shower itself will continue to late May, but not in the same profusion. Now really is the best time to get out and take a look. All you need is somewhere comfy, a clear view of the sky, and the willpower to get out of bed in time to see it.
Earth is frequently dusted by meteor showers; they are some of the best shows in the night sky. They’re the result of our planet passing through the cloud of debris left behind by an asteroid or comet as it travels its own path around the Sun.
Pieces of that leftover comet-or-asteroid detritus smack into Earth’s atmosphere, burning as they fall, creating a glowing trail that can be seen with the naked eye. And, since these trails are left around the Sun on Earth’s orbital path, the meteor showers they create occur annually.
The Eta Aquariids are the debris left by a comet called 1P/Halley, or Halley’s Comet, which comes around every 76 years. Its radiant, or place in the sky from which the meteors seem to fall, is close to the constellation of Aquarius.
This means the shower will present a strong showing for the Southern Hemisphere, with up to 50 to 60 meteors per hour.
The Northern Hemisphere might see some meteors, too, although probably significantly fewer – maybe up to 30 meteors per hour, in the hour just before dawn.
The Moon will be 64 percent full during the peak, but that won’t pose a problem for meteor visibility: the Moon will set long before the radiant rises.
The best time for viewing this display is going to vary depending on where in the world you are. You can check the conditions for your location on Time and Date here.
If you don’t manage to catch the peak, don’t worry – the shower will be strong for the entire week, and continue, albeit on a waning basis, until about May 28.
You can also download the International Meteor Organization’s 2025 meteor shower calendar to keep ahead of the rest of the year’s meteor bonanzas. Happy meteor-watching!
