Full Breakdown
2026 Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Peaks May 5-6 Amid Bright Moon
5/6/2026, 6:34:21 PM
Core Event and Viewing Window
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower runs from 19 April to 28 May 2026, peaking overnight on 5 May and into the pre-dawn hours of 6 May. The radiant reaches its highest point just before dawn on 6 May. Southern-hemisphere observers can see 50–60 meteors per hour; northern observers may see 10–30 per hour, but the waning-gibbous Moon will suppress many faint meteors.
Origin and Astronomical Context
The meteors come from debris of 1P/Halley (Halley’s Comet), which leaves ice and dust. Earth crosses this stream twice a year, creating the Eta Aquarids in May. Halley’s Comet has a 76-year orbit, last observed in 1986 and expected again in 2061.
Official Statements & Guidance
NASA advises a dark site away from artificial light, lying flat on the back, and a 30-minute eye-adaptation period. Use a red-light flashlight, warm clothing, and a seat. Bill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center, recommends stepping outside around 02:00 local time. A clear sky can produce about 50 meteors per hour.
Data Summary
- Active: 19 April – 28 May 2026
- Peak: 5 May night – 6 May pre-dawn
- Rates: 10–30 hr?¹ (north), 50–60 hr?¹ (south)
- Speed: ? 40.7 mi s?¹ (? 66 km s?¹)
- Moon: waning gibbous, rises after midnight, sets ~03:00 local (varies)
- Debris: grains of sand size
On-the-Ground Reports
2013 fireball images show an Eta Aquarid over Mount Bromo, Indonesia, and another over Devils Tower, Wyoming, captured by astrophotographer David Kingham.
Criticism & Opposition
The waning-gibbous Moon will obscure many faint meteors, limiting the observable rate.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources differ on peak rates (50 vs. up to 60 per hour in optimal southern skies) and on northern-hemisphere estimates (10–30 per hour). Moon timing is reported both as setting around 03:00 local and as rising after midnight, indicating regional variation.
What’s Next
The Eta Aquarids will taper after 27 May. Later in the year, the Delta Aquarids, Alpha Capricornids, and the Perseids (peaking on the new Moon of 12-13 August 2026) will follow.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The Etas are not a shower that you can go out to see after sunset because the radiant won't be up,” — Bill Cooke, NASA Meteoroid Environment Office
- “7 miles per second when entering the Earth's atmosphere.” — NASA spokesperson
- “Related: Meteor shower guide: Where, when and how to see them The maximum rate for shooting stars in a clear sky will be about 50 per hour, according to the American Meteor Society (AMS).” — American Meteor Society
- “A troublesome moon The 84%-lit lunar disk rises above the southeastern horizon shortly after midnight on the night of May 5-6, flooding the sky with moonlight that will hide dimmer meteors from view, resulting in a potential hourly rate of under 10 sightings per hour for those in the northern hemisphere.” — NASA statement
