The Eta Aquariids meteor shower is here, and it’s not too late to catch the best view
Sky watchers have one last opportunity to catch one of the greatest celestial shows of the Southern Hemisphere, and it may also be the best one.
Remnants from Halley’s Comet, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower appears annually at this time of year, featuring a procession of space debris streaking across the night sky, but 2025 promises a particularly impressive show.
The Aquariids meteors don’t produce bright flashes known as fireballs, but they are famous for being fast and leaving spectacular glowing trains in their wake.
Because the Moon won’t be visible when the meteors arrive, this year’s shower promises to be particularly bright.
The shower can be seen as streaks across the sky. Photo: AAP
When to see it
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The Eta Aquariids meteor shower began on April 19 and will continue until late May, so it’s already underway.
Weather permitting, the best opportunity to see the full show is pre-dawn on Thursday morning, May 8, when Aquarius, the constellation the meteors appear to come from is highest in the north-east sky.
If you want to catch the most meteors, you should head outside between 3 to 5am.
How to see it
Every state and territory in Australia will be able to witness the Eta Aquariids, but areas with the lowest light pollution would have the greatest visibility.
While the shower is a global event, Australia and Chile have the best view because their night sky looks towards the centre of the Milky Way.
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Aquarius, where the meteors will appear, is in the north-east of the sky.
Apps like Night Sky or Stellarium can help display the correct spot, but make sure you keep your phone’s brightness low.
And be sure to turn off any outside lights and look away from bright street lights or your phone.
The meteors should emerge from the north-east sky. Photo: Timeanddate
Once you’ve found a viewing spot with minimal light pollution, lie down, look at the sky and allow your eyes up to 15 to 20 minutes to get used to the dark.
Meteors may not appear immediately, and experts recommend staying outside in the dark for at least an hour to have the best chance of witnessing them.
Also, the meteors won’t appear at regular intervals – while there may be none for several minutes, that could be followed by a burst of activity all at once.
What are the Eta Aquariids?
The Eta Aquariids are actually caused by the Earth passing through debris left behind by Halley’s Comet hundreds of years ago.
As this rock and dust hit the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds, they burn up and create bright streaks.
The meteor shower gets its name because the part of the sky in which the meteors appear is near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation of Aquarius.
Aquarids meteors cross across the sky at up to about 65 kilometres per second, NASA says that’s fast enough to leave a glowing trail of debris behind that can last for several seconds, or even minutes.
If conditions are right, up to about 50 meteors can be seen per hour during the Eta Aquariids’ peak in the Southern Hemisphere.
