How and when to watch the Eta Aquariid meteor shower
CNN • • science
Key Points:
- The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will peak between Tuesday and Wednesday, with the best viewing opportunity before dawn on Wednesday, especially in the Southern Hemisphere where up to 40 meteors per hour can be seen under ideal conditions.
- Visibility in the Northern Hemisphere is lower, with up to 20 meteors per hour at peak, but the bright waning gibbous moon will reduce the number of visible meteors to fewer than 10 per hour overall.
- The meteors originate from comet 1P/Halley, entering Earth's atmosphere at about 40 miles per second, often leaving glowing trails; the shower's radiant is near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation Aquarius.
- Observers are advised to find dark skies away from city lights and to block the moon’s glare for the best chance to see the shower, with eyes adjusting after about 45 minutes of sky-watching.
- Other notable meteor showers in 2026 include the Perseids (August 12-13), Orionids (October 21-22), and Geminids (December 13-14), among others.
