Eta Aquarids Peak Overnight May 5-6 With 50 Per Hour — Upcoming Meteor Showers
The upcoming meteor showers calendar turns to the Eta Aquarids overnight May 5-6, when the display reaches its 2025 peak. Bill Cooke of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office said the best viewing comes before dawn on May 6, with the shower active from April 19 through May 28.
Bill Cooke and NASA
Cooke said the Eta Aquarids can produce about 50 meteors per hour in a clear sky. For observers north of the equator, the rate drops to about 10 to 30 meteors per hour, while people in the Southern Hemisphere or near the equator have the best view.
The meteors travel at about 41 miles per second and appear to come from the constellation Aquarius. They are debris left by Halley’s Comet, which gives the shower its long-running annual return.
May 6 Before Dawn
A bright waning gibbous moon is expected to interfere with the 2025 peak and wash out fainter meteors. Cooke said no special equipment such as telescopes or binoculars is needed, but observers should allow at least 30 minutes for their eyes to adjust to the dark.
That leaves the practical plan simple: get outside before dawn on May 6, find the darkest sky possible, and give your eyes time to adjust. The shower’s strongest viewing window is short, and moonlight will make the difference between seeing only the brighter streaks and catching a fuller display.
