Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight: Eta Aquariids

Tonight is the peak of the Eta Aquariids, a meteor shower created as the Earth passes through the debris trail of the famous Halley’s Comet.

This particular shower is only expected to reach a peak of 40 meteors per hour, but with a little planning and a little more patience you can certainly expect to see some!

Download a printable PDF Sky Guide

No special equipment is needed, just a clear view of the sky away from as many lights as possible. Go out as close to midnight as possible, more meteors are visible closer to dawn. Let your eyes adapt to the dark and then scan the horizon in a slow, steady pattern well above the horizon. Meteors can occur almost anywhere in the sky, though always pointing away from their radiant.

To learn more check out this video from the Lowell Observatory:

You can view the meteor shower debris trail in this 3D interactive model (click to begin):

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Stay well, and clear skies!