The Eta Aquarid meteor shower peaks next week: Here's what you need to know

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The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is almost here! Here's what you need to know as the shooting star display ramps up to peak activity, including when and where to look, viewing conditions and more!

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Eta Aquarid meteors can be spotted from April 19 to May 28 as Earth passes through the debris trail left in the wake of Halley's Comet as the comet races along its 76-year orbit. Sightings of Halley's Comet in Earth's sky date back to over 2,000 years ago, and with each pass, the object sheds another stream of particles. These repeated streams serve as the origins of several shooting star displays.

In 2026, the Eta Aquarid peak will occur overnight on May 5-6, as Earth travels through the densest part of Halley's debris stream. Stargazers in the southern hemisphere could see up to 50 shooting stars crisscrossing the night sky while those in the northern hemisphere will be treated to a more modest showing of between 10-30 meteors per hour, according to the American Meteor Society.

Shooting stars associated with the shower become visible when tiny shards of Comet Halley impact Earth's gaseous shell at over 40.7 miles per second (64 kilometers per second), carving a fiery path through the atmosphere as they're overwhelmed by the pressure and force of atmospheric entry.

Viewing conditions

The 84%-lit waning gibbous moon will flood the sky with moonlight after it rises around midnight on the night of May 5-6, which will hide fainter shooting stars, dropping the hourly rate to below 10 shooting stars per hour. On the bright side, the Eta Aquarid's are known to produce the occasional fireball, which could easily pierce the veil of moonlight cast by the lunar disk.

How do I know if the shooting star I saw was an Eta Aquarid?

Meteors associated with the Eta Aquarids will streak away from a point of origin close to the bright stars Zeta Aquarii and Sadachbia in the constellation Aquarius, which can be found rising over the eastern horizon during early hours in early May.

Where should I look for shooting stars?

Eta Aquarid meteors may be seen whenever the radiant is above the horizon. The ideal time to hunt for shooting stars comes during the predawn hours of May 6, when the radiant will be at its highest above the eastern horizon.

First, locate the radiant to the left of the waning moon using a handy smartphone stargazing app. Then, find a patch of sky roughly 40 degrees away from this location in the direction of your local zenith (which is the point above your head). Here, the shooting stars will be at their most impressive.

Want to capture a gorgeous meteor photo for yourself? Then be sure to read our guide to photographing shooting stars, along with our picks of the best cameras and lenses for imaging the night sky in 2026.

Editor's Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com's readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to [email protected].