The Eta Aquariid meteor shower will peak between midnight and dawn on Wednesday, May 6 (Image: Getty)
Stargazers across the UK will have the chance to witness the Eta Aquariid meteor shower this week as it reaches its peak on Wednesday.
The Eta Aquariids is associated with Halley’s Comet, which passes by earth around every 75 to 76 years as it orbits the Sun. It is active between April 19 and May 28, but it will reach its peak between midnight and dawn on May 6, meaning eagle-eyed Brits will have the chance to spot it in UK skies this week. According to Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG), the meteor shower favours the Southern Hemisphere and will appear low in the sky for northerly latitudes, such as the UK, “in the early predawn hours”.
A bright gibbous moon on Wednesday is expected to make viewing conditions a bit more tricky, but it should still be possible to see the shower in the eastern sky in the early hours of the morning. As the moon rises just after midnight, conditions will also be favourable before then.
RMG said: “In 2026 the maximum of the shower occurs between midnight and dawn on May 6, when there will be a bright waning gibbous Moon, resulting in unfavourable seeing conditions.
“However, the Moon rises just after midnight, so conditions will be favourable before then, although more meteors are likely to be seen in the early hours of the morning.”
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower takes its name from Eta Aquarii, which is one of the stars from the Aquarius constellation in the night sky that it appears to radiate from.
It is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley, with the other being the Orionid meteor shower, which comes later in the year, in October.
Unlike most major annual meteor showers, Eta Aquariid doesn’t have a sharp peak, but rather “a plateau of good rates" that last approximately one week centred on May 6 to May 7.
The best chance of witnessing the spectacle is between midnight and dawn on Wednesday in locations away from street lights and other sources of light pollution.
From a dark location, without interference from light pollution or the moon, you can expect to seen an average of 40 meteors per hour during the shower's peak activity, according to RMG.
You don’t need binoculars or a telescope to spot the meteor shower, as it’s possible for it to be seen with the naked eye once your eyes have adjusted to the dark.
It is best to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for around 20 minutes and avoid using mobile phones or bright lights during viewing.
If you're lucky enough to spot the shower, it's interesting to note that the streaks that you see in the night sky can actually be caused by particles that are as small as a grain of sand.
RMG added: “Hunting for meteors, like the rest of astronomy, is a waiting game, so it's best to bring a comfy chair to sit on and to wrap up warm as you could be outside for a while.
“They can be seen with the naked eye so there's no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark.”
