Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower 2026 Peak

What this countdown tracks

The clock counts down to the peak of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower on the night of May 5 into May 6, 2026 — the spring half of the two annual showers caused by Halley's Comet, with a zenithal hourly rate of about 50 and the year's fastest meteors.

About this celestial event

The Eta Aquariids are debris shed by 1P/Halley over the past 30 millennia. Earth crosses the inbound side of Halley's debris stream every May, and the outbound side every October (the Orionids). The radiant lies near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius. Eta Aquariid meteors strike the Earth's atmosphere at about 66 km/s — among the fastest of any annual shower — producing long, swift, often greenish trails that can leave persistent trains for several seconds.

Because the radiant rises only a few hours before dawn at most Northern Hemisphere latitudes, the Eta Aquariids strongly favour the Southern Hemisphere and tropical observers. From sites south of about 30°N, the radiant climbs high enough before dawn to deliver the full advertised ZHR. From mid-northern sites such as London, Berlin or Toronto, observed rates are typically half the maximum or less. Equatorial sites — Singapore, Nairobi, Quito — see the best of the show.

The shower is famous for "Earth-grazers" in the early hours when the radiant is near the horizon: long, slow meteors that travel laterally across the sky and leave dramatic trails.

Best viewing

For 2026 the predicted peak is around May 6 with broad maximum activity for two to three nights either side. The 2026 Moon is a waning gibbous that rises late and interferes for part of the night, but the prime pre-dawn observing window is largely Moon-free in many locations. From the Southern Hemisphere expect 40–60 meteors per hour at peak from a dark site; from the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitudes expect 10–20.

Best observing time is the two-hour window before astronomical twilight, with the radiant in the east-south-east. Lie back, look toward the zenith, and let the meteors come to you.

Past peaks

• 2025 Eta Aquariids — strong show under dark skies with confirmed ZHR ~50
• 2013 Eta Aquariids — outburst-level rates over Australia and South Africa
• 1986 Eta Aquariids — coincided with Halley's Comet's last perihelion passage
• 2004 Eta Aquariids — record southern-hemisphere ZHR of 85
• 2009 Eta Aquariids — strong recorded rates from Australian observatories

How to observe

NASA's Meteor Watch, the IMO, the American Meteor Society and the Australian Astronomical Observatory publish observer guidance for the southern peak. Live streams from the Virtual Telescope Project, Subaru's Hawaii feed and Australian observatories cover the peak overnight. No equipment is needed — naked-eye observation in the pre-dawn hours is the standard approach.

Related countdowns

The Eta Aquariids are paired with the Orionid meteor shower 2026 (the autumn Halley shower) and follow the Lyrid meteor shower 2026. Pair with Saturn opposition 2026 and the June solstice 2026 on the late-spring sky calendar.

FAQ

When does the Eta Aquariid shower peak in 2026? The night of May 5 into May 6, 2026, with broad activity for two to three nights either side. Where are the Eta Aquariids best seen? From the Southern Hemisphere and the tropics; the radiant rises only shortly before dawn at mid-northern latitudes. What's the parent body? Halley's Comet (1P/Halley); the same comet produces the October Orionids. How many meteors per hour will I see? Up to 50 from southern dark-sky sites; 10–20 from mid-northern latitudes.