One of the greatest annual meteor showers, the ETA Aquarids, is set to peak this week and light up the sky with blazing streaks of light.
Following closely on the heels of the Lyrid meteor shower, the Aquardis (also sometimes spelled Aquardiis) meteors are some of the best astral views of the year, especially from the Southern Hemisphere. Luckily, the event will be viewable across the globe, giving stargazers one final chance to watch a shower until the next expected one in July.
Created by debris left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet, the Aquardis meteors are known not for appearing like flashing balls of fire, but rather for leaving long glowing trails in their wake as they shoot across the sky.
Here’s what to know about the ETA Aquarids meteor shower and how to watch it in 2025.
What is the ETA Aquarids meteor shower?
Most meteor showers are the result of Earth passing through debris left by comets, explains NASA. These broken-up meteoritic materials fall to Earth and burn up in Earth’s atmosphere, creating what we know as “shooting stars.”
This happens daily (NASA scientists estimate that 48.5 tons of material fall on Earth each day), and if you watch closely, you should be able to see a few per hour on an average night. When the number of meteors entering Earth’s atmosphere increases significantly, that’s what’s called a meteor shower. Meteor showers are usually named after a star or constellation closest to where the meteors appear in the sky.
The debris that makes the ETA Aquarids meteors come from Halley’s Comet, which can only be seen from Earth once every roughly 76 years (the next time will be 2061). When it returns to the inner solar system, it leaves behind the rocky dust that eventually creates the ETA Aquarids meteor shower each May and the Orionids every October
When is the ETA Aquarids meteor shower peaking?
The Aquarids, which first became active April 19, are due to peak between May 5 and May 6 as Earth passes through the densest part of Halley’s cosmic debris, according to the American Meteor Society. While the meteors won’t be as bright or dazzling after the peak, stargazers should still be able to catch some of the light show up until about May 28.
What time can I see the Aquarids meteors?
Like all meteor showers, the Aquarids are best viewed during the dark hours between midnight and dawn. Time and Date also provides detailed information about where and when to see the phenomenon.
How to see the Aquarids
The Aquarids should be visible around the globe, anywhere in the sky, assuming clouds and a bright moon do not obscure the view.
However, the meteors are best seen from the Southern Hemisphere. This is because the meteors seem to emerge, or radiate, from the constellation Aquarius, which is higher up in the sky in the Southern Hemisphere than it is in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the Northern Hemisphere, ETA Aquarid meteors appear as what NASA refers to as “Earthgrazers,” or long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon.
Getting away from cities’ light pollution and street lights will also help to unveil the best sights.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to watch the ETA Aquarids meteor shower as it peaks this week
