May 2026: Can You Spot the Eta Aquarids?

When to See the Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower

The Eta Aquarids peak around May 5–6 each year. As with any meteor shower, the best time to watch is in the early morning hours before dawn, when your location on Earth is turning into the stream of debris left by the parent body—in this case, Halley’s Comet. This famous comet also produces the Orionids, a meteor shower that peaks in October.

The shower is active from about April 19 to May 28. Activity is generally strongest during the week centered on the May 5–6 peak, meaning there are several good opportunities to see meteors around this time.

Where to See the Eta Aquarids

The Eta Aquarids can be seen from all over the world, but are best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. This is due to the position of the radiant—the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate.

The Eta Aquarids’ radiant is located in the constellation Aquarius, which climbs up higher in the nighttime sky in the Southern Hemisphere this time of year. Even though the meteors come from the radiant, they can appear in any part of the night sky.

According to NASA, since the radiant is lower down in the sky for those north of the equator, the meteors can be more often seen as “Earthgrazers”—shooting stars that appear as long meteors that move low across the horizon, giving the impression that they are skimming along Earth’s surface.

In the Northern Hemisphere, under dark, ideal viewing conditions, skywatchers typically see around 10–30 meteors per hour, compared to up to 50 meteors per hour in the Southern Hemisphere. However, in 2026, bright moonlight may reduce the visibility to closer to 10 meteors per hour for northern observers.

Moonlight and Meteors

With the Full Moon on May 1, the night sky will still be bright with moonlight during the Eta Aquarids peak, reducing the visibility of fainter meteors. Combined with the lower meteor rates in the Northern Hemisphere, this could make spotting shooting stars more challenging.

One tip is to position yourself so the Moon is hidden behind a building or some trees, while still keeping a clear view of the rest of the sky.

For the Southern Hemisphere, the higher meteor rates improve your chances of catching meteors and fireballs (exceptionally bright meteors) even with moonlight.

For those south of the equator, there’s another reason to head outside early: Saturn and Mars appear close together in the sky in the days surrounding the peak. Look toward the eastern horizon before dawn to find this striking pair near Aquarius. You may catch meteors, planets, and the approaching sunrise all in one view.

Up Next: The Perseid Meteors

After the Eta Aquarids, there’s a break in the meteor shower calendar for the more prominent showers until the Perseids return at the end of July. This shower is a favorite in the Northern Hemisphere thanks to warm summer nights and high meteor rates—and in 2026, it will be even more special.

The Perseids peak on August 12–13, coinciding with a total solar eclipse. Not only does this mean there’s a chance to watch two incredible sky phenomena in one day, but the total solar eclipse means that there’s a New Moon during the Perseids peak, which provides ideal viewing conditions for spotting shooting stars.

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