The eta aquarids meteor shower will peak around May 4 to 6, with the best viewing time around 4 am local time on the morning of 5 May 2026. The American Meteor Society says Southern Hemisphere observers should have the strongest view, while a bright waning gibbous Moon will cut into visibility for many in the north.
Observers in the Southern Hemisphere can expect up to 60 meteors per hour. Northern viewers are more likely to see closer to 10 per hour, and the Moon is set to wash out fainter streaks as the shower reaches its pre-dawn peak.
Halley’s Comet debris
The shower is annual and comes from debris left by 1P/Halley, also known as Halley’s Comet. Earth passes through that material every year, and the Eta Aquariids take their name from a radiant close to Aquarius.
Halley’s Comet returns every 76 years, but the meteor shower itself arrives each spring. That gives skywatchers a recurring window without waiting for the comet’s next visit.
Moon and Aquarius
This season, the Moon rises in the evening while Aquarius rises in the hours after midnight. By the pre-dawn peak, the Moon and Aquarius should sit on opposite sides of the sky, with the Moon moving toward the western horizon and Aquarius rising in the east.
For viewers trying to limit glare, turning your back to the Moon can help. A tree or building placed between you and the Moon can block even more light and improve the chance of seeing the fainter meteors.
Late-May viewing window
The shower will continue until late May, then fade in waning numbers around May 27 or 28. The next meteor showers arrive in July, including the southern Delta Aquariids, the Alpha Capricornids and the Perseids.
For anyone planning a viewing, the clearest target is still the same: step outside before dawn on 5 May 2026, face away from the Moon, and look for activity near Aquarius.
