Topline
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will begin on Saturday, April 19, 2025, peaking in the early hours of Tuesday, May 6. It’s known for its bright and fast-moving shooting stars resulting from Halley’s comet, the most famous comet of all, which was last in the inner solar system in 1986 and is due back in 2061.
Key Facts
Though beginning this weekend and active until May 28, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower will peak overnight on Monday, May 5 and Tuesday, May 6, when observers could see up to 60 shooting stars per hour.
The Eta Aquariids are the result of Earth busting through the dust and debris left in the inner solar system by Halley’s Comet. This famous comet, which orbits the sun once every 76 years, last passed by Earth in 1986 and won’t be seen again until 2061.
Each year in May (and again in October for the Orionid meteor shower), Earth moves through its debris trail, with meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of 40 miles/second (66 kilometers/second). That’s among the fastest of any meteor shower.
As the meteoroids collide with Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, releasing energy as photons of light that observers below see as brief streaks across the sky. The high velocity of Eta Aquariid meteors often creates long, glowing trails, sometimes lasting a few seconds.
Where To Look In The Night Sky
The radiant point of the Eta Aquariids lies in the constellation Aquarius, near its bright star, Eta Aquarii. This area of the sky rises in the southeast in the early hours after midnight. Although the meteors will appear to radiate from this point, they can occur anywhere in the night sky. As for any meteor shower, an unobstructed view of a clear and dark sky is required for maximum effect, with light pollution and moonlight reducing the number of shooting stars seen. Consult a light pollution map, visit a Dark Sky Place or go camping on public lands.
When To Watch The Eta Aquariids
The best time to view this meteor shower is between 3 a.m. and dawn when the night sky is darkest and Aquarius is highest, but shooting stars could be seen any time after dark — even in the early evening. That peak night will have shooting stars battling strong moonlight in the early evening, with a 64%-lit waxing gibbous moon in the night sky, but it will be out of the night sky in time for the predicted peak between 3 a.m. and dawn on Tuesday, May 6.
Background
Halley’s Comet is named after Edmund Halley, an English astronomer who plotted its orbit in the 17th century. One of the few comets that can theoretically be seen twice during one human lifetime, it orbits the sun every 75-79 years. On December 9, 2023, it reached 35 Earth-sun distances past the orbit of Neptune, as far as it ever gets from the sun (its aphelion), and began its journey back to the inner solar system. It will next be visible from Earth in the summer of 2061.
The next meteor shower after the Eta Aquariids will be the Southern Delta Aquariids, which peak around July 29-30, overlapping with the more famous Perseid meteor shower in August.
