Eta Aquariid meteor shower 2027
The Eta Aquariids peak on Thursday, May 6, 2027, with up to 50 meteors an hour under a dark sky. On the peak night the Moon is 0% lit, and the meteors seem to come from Aquarius.
At a glance
- Next peak
- Thursday, May 6, 2027
- Meteors an hour
- Up to 50
- Radiant
- Aquarius
- Parent
- comet 1P/Halley
- Moon on the peak night
- 0% lit, new Moon
Where to look
The Eta Aquariids seem to come from a point in Aquarius, called the radiant. You don't need to look straight at it: meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and the higher the radiant, the more you see. Times are local solar time on the peak night. Your clock can differ by an hour or more, for example in summer time.
| From | Radiant rises | Highest | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40° north | 1:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 49° |
| 35° south | 1:30 AM | 7:30 AM | 56° |
The Eta Aquariids in the next years
The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year. The Moon figures are for midnight in Doha on the peak night.
| Peak | Moon | Moon lit |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, May 6, 2027 | new Moon | 0% |
| Saturday, May 6, 2028 | waxing gibbous Moon | 88% |
| Sunday, May 6, 2029 | last quarter Moon | 45% |
| Monday, May 6, 2030 | waxing crescent Moon | 16% |
| Tuesday, May 6, 2031 | full Moon | 100% |
Where the Eta Aquariids come from
The Eta Aquariids are dust from comet 1P/Halley. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere as meteors.
Keep the night of the Eta Aquariids
Put the sky above Doha on the night of the May 6, 2027 peak on a star map. You can change the place, the date and the words in the editor.
Questions about the Eta Aquariids
The Eta Aquariids peak on Thursday, May 6, 2027. The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year, so the nights just before and after are worth a look too.
Up to about 50 at the peak, under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. From most places you see fewer, especially with the Moon up.
Anywhere in the sky. The meteors seem to come from Aquarius, but they cross the whole sky, so look at a wide dark patch away from the Moon.
Yes, and well. From 35° south the radiant climbs to 56°, higher than the 49° it reaches from 40° north.
On the 2027 peak night the Moon is 0% lit. That leaves a dark sky for the fainter meteors.
The Eta Aquariids are dust from comet 1P/Halley. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere.
Other meteor showers
More of the night sky
- Upcoming eclipsesEvery lunar and solar eclipse of the next 10 years.
- Night sky tonightThe Moon, the planets you can see and the time it gets dark in your city.
- Night sky on any dateThe Moon, the planets and the stars above any place, from 1900 to 2100.
- Moon phase on your birthdayThe phase and the shape of the Moon on the day you were born.