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2d ago

Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Peaks Before Dawn Under Bright Moonlight

Moonlight this year will likely cut the Halley’s‑Comet display to only a few visible meteors per hour.

The Eta Aquariids meteor shower, which peaked in early May this year, was captured in this stunning image by astrophotographer Petr Horálek. It was taken near San Pedro de Atacama, a Chilean town about 50 km away from the Chajnantor observatory site, where APEX and ALMA, astronomical facilities co-owned by ESO, are located. The Eta Aquariids meteors are caused by leftover debris from Halley’s comet and make up the bright, arrow-like darts of light in the photo. But don’t stop there: this image is literally full to the brim of astronomical phenomena.  The luminous object towards the bottom of the sky is Venus. Above it, arranged in a satisfying line, are several planets in conjunction. Directly above Venus is Jupiter, followed by the bright red Mars, and then Saturn. Conjunctions such as this are rare, often occurring decades apart. The planets also trace the zodiacal light, the faint glow stretching like a pillar, up towards the bright stellar-dense centre of the Milky Way, our home galaxy.  Zodiacal light is often seen from dark sites like ESO observatories just after sunset, or before sunrise, and is the reflected sunlight from dust particles in the plane of the Solar System. The dust comes from asteroids, passing comets, and even from other inner Solar System planets, such as Mars. Here we see the zodiacal light paired with the red sunset over the mountains and volcanoes surrounding the Chajnantor site, a spectacular backdrop to this dreamy night sky. Link Annotated version of this image
Image
The Eta Aquariids meteor shower appears over the night sky in Kandalama, Sri Lanka, on May 5, 2025.

Overview

  • The shower’s peak, which arrives before dawn on Wednesday, offers its brief window after Aquarius rises in the last hours before sunrise, according to the American Meteor Society.
  • An 84% waning gibbous moon will wash out faint streaks, and the American Meteor Society says observed rates are not expected to top about five meteors per hour anywhere.
  • Viewers south of the equator have the better angle because the radiant in Aquarius climbs higher there, while most northern locations will likely see only a handful.
  • For the best chance, go to a dark site, face the eastern sky in the pre-dawn hours, block the moon with a building, tree, or hill, and let your eyes adjust for 20 to 30 minutes with no phone use.
  • The Eta Aquariids run through late May and come from debris shed by Halley’s Comet, with very fast meteors that can leave glowing trains, so later pre-dawn attempts may improve as the moon wanes.