Best meteor shower in the Southern Hemisphere peaks tonight

By Avni Trivedi, CNN

(CNN) — Early birds are in for a celestial treat this week as activity from the Eta Aquariid meteor shower heats up — but they’ll need to keep sharp eyes on the sky.

The shower will peak between Tuesday and Wednesday, with prime views before daybreak on Wednesday, according to the American Meteor Society.

“The only opportunity to see these meteors is during the last few hours before dawn,” said Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator with the American Meteor Society.

This brief window is due to the fact that Aquarius, the constellation from which the meteors radiate, will not be visible until about 3 a.m. for much of the globe.

Typically considered the best meteor shower in the Southern Hemisphere, the annual Eta Aquariids can produce up to 40 meteors in places below the equator, Lunsford said.

The shower is less visible in the Northern Hemisphere, with up to 20 meteors per hour at its peak during ideal conditions.

However, the bright waning gibbous moon will severely affect the visibility of the shower, reducing the hourly rate of visible meteors to less than 10, according to EarthSky. In the United States, sky-gazers in the southern half of the country have the strongest chance of seeing the cosmic display.

Even with the ideal condition of a dark sky, Lunsford said the Eta Aquariids have not had the greatest showing in the past few years, barely producing five meteors per hour.

The Eta Aquariids are known for being speedy, zooming through the atmosphere at about 40 miles per second (64 kilometers per second). The meteors move so fast they can leave behind a glowing trail that lingers after the flash, according to NASA.

“Now that we have a really bright moon, we’re going to be lucky if we see just a couple an hour,” he added.

Finding a way to block out the moon and getting away from the city and streetlights will provide the best chance to see the shower. Lay down on a blanket or set up a lawn chair and look up, taking in as much of the dark sky as you can. After about 45 minutes, your eyes should adjust and you will just be able to make out the faint meteors.

The origin of Eta Aquariids

Tracing the paths of the Eta Aquariid meteors backward will leads to their radiant — the point within the constellation Aquarius where the meteors appear to originate. This point nearly aligns with the star Eta Aquarii, which gives the shower its name, according to EarthSky.

Knowing exactly where the radiant sits is not necessary to see the shower, but the higher the radiant appears in the sky the more meteors you are likely to see. Aquarius appears higher when viewed from the Southern Hemisphere than it does when observed from the Northern Hemisphere. That’s why places below the equator are preferable for viewing the Eta Aquariids, according to NASA.

“At this time of the year, if you’re south of the equator, the night is longer, so they have more of an opportunity to view it,” Lunsford said.

The Eta Aquariids originate from comet 1P, also known as Halley’s comet. Twice a year, Earth crosses paths with dust and rocks that shed from the famed comet. As the pieces collide with Earth’s atmosphere they disintegrate, creating a meteor shower. This happens in May with the Eta Aquariids and in October as the Orionids.

Edmund Halley discovered his namesake comet in 1705. The last time sky-gazers observed the icy, rocky object was in 1986 and, with a 76-year orbit, the next chance to catch a glimpse is 2061, according to NASA.

Upcoming meteor showers

Here are the peak dates for other meteor showers in 2026, according to the American Meteor Society.

Southern Delta Aquariids: July 30-31

Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31

Perseids: August 12-13

Orionids: October 21-22

Southern Taurids: November 4-5

Northern Taurids: November 11-12

Leonids: November 16-17

Geminids: December 13-14

Ursids: December 21-22

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