Meteor shower Eta Aquariids 2027 Returns 19 April

Eta Aquariid meteor shower 2027

The Eta Aquariids return on 19 April and peak on the night of 6 to 7 May 2027. From New York the best time that night is about 04:00 EDT, with up to 12 meteors an hour from a dark site.

Open the live sky for your town The peak night around the world

The peak night around the world

The best time to watch on the peak night in twelve cities, each worked out for that city's own sky, with the meteors an hour you can expect from a dark site and where the Moon is at that time. Times are local.

The Eta Aquariids peak night in 12 cities: the local date, the best time, meteors an hour from a dark site and the Moon at that time
Place	Peak night	Best time	Meteors an hourfrom a dark site	Moon then
LondonUnited Kingdom	6–7 May	03:45 BST	3 to 4	1% lit
New YorkUnited States	6–7 May	04:00 EDT	up to 12	1% lit
Los AngelesUnited States	6–7 May	04:25 PDT	up to 17	2% lit
TorontoCanada	6–7 May	04:05 EDT	up to 10	1% lit
SydneyAustralia	6–7 May	05:05 AEST	up to 33	0% lit
DelhiIndia	6–7 May	04:10 IST	up to 22	1% lit
TokyoJapan	6–7 May	03:05 JST	up to 18	0% lit
BerlinGermany	6–7 May	03:45 CEST	3 to 4	1% lit
RomeItaly	6–7 May	04:10 CEST	up to 11	1% lit
JohannesburgSouth Africa	6–7 May	05:15 SAST	up to 33	1% lit
São PauloBrazil	6–7 May	05:10 BRT	up to 32	1% lit
DubaiUnited Arab Emirates	6–7 May	04:15 GST	up to 24	1% lit

Peak night in New York, hour by hour

Shower meteors an hour you can expect from a dark site through the peak night, after allowing for the radiant's height, twilight and the Moon. A suburb shows roughly a third to a half of that, a city centre roughly a tenth to a fifth.

Where to look

The Eta Aquariid radiant lies in Aquarius, next to the Water Jar, a small Y of four stars. From New York it rises at 02:34, and at the best time on the peak night, 04:00, it is 16° up in the east-south-east. Face that way and look about halfway up.

Eta Aquariids appear anywhere. Near the radiant they are short; far from it they leave long trails. Trace any of them back and it points to the Water Jar in Aquarius.
Give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt to the dark, and keep your phone on the Meteor Tracker's red-light field mode.
Lie back on a reclining chair rather than craning your neck. No telescope or binoculars needed.
Watch for at least half an hour. Meteors come in bursts, with quiet spells in between.

About the Eta Aquariids

Every May, Earth runs through dust that Halley's comet has shed over thousands of years. The grains hit the air at about 66 km/s, among the fastest of any shower, so many Eta Aquariids are bright and leave glowing trains that hang in the sky for a second or two.

The radiant sits in Aquarius, next to the Water Jar, a small Y of four stars, just south of the celestial equator. It rises only a few hours before dawn, so the Eta Aquariids are a morning shower: the best time is the hour or two before first light. From the southern hemisphere and the tropics the radiant climbs high before dawn and the shower is one of the best of the year; from the UK and northern Europe it stays low, and far fewer meteors show.

The Eta Aquariids and the Orionids come from the same stream, which Earth meets twice a year, in May and again in October. Halley's comet last passed the Sun in 1986 and is due back in 2061. A low radiant makes for earthgrazers, long meteors that skim the top of the air, so the first hour after it rises is worth watching even from the north.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the Eta Aquariid meteor shower 2027?

The Eta Aquariids are active from 19 April to 28 May 2027 and peak on the night of 6 to 7 May. The nights either side of the peak are nearly as good, and the hours before dawn are best every night.

What time is best to watch the Eta Aquariids?

From New York on the peak night, about 04:00 EDT, with up to 12 meteors an hour from a dark site. The radiant rises at about 02:34, so the hours after midnight are best, up to the first light of dawn.

Where do I look for the Eta Aquariids?

Face east-south-east and look about halfway up: from New York at 04:00 the radiant is 16° up, in Aquarius, next to the Water Jar, a small Y of four stars. Eta Aquariids can appear anywhere in the sky, and those far from the radiant leave the longest trails.

How many Eta Aquariids will I see?

At the peak, from a dark site in New York, up to 12 meteors an hour, nearly all of them Eta Aquariids. From a suburb expect 5 to 6, and from a city centre 2 to 3. Rates are lower before midnight, while the radiant is low.

Will the Moon affect the Eta Aquariids in 2027?

Hardly: the Moon is only 1% lit on the peak night.

What time will the UK see the Eta Aquariids?

On the peak night, 6 to 7 May, the best time is about 03:45 in London, 03:40 in Manchester and 03:20 in Edinburgh (BST), with 3 to 4 meteors an hour from a dark site. There is no Moon to brighten the sky.

What causes the Eta Aquariid meteor shower?

Dust from Halley's comet, the same stream that gives the Orionids in October. Earth runs through it every May, and the grains hit the air at 66 km/s, among the fastest of any shower, so many leave glowing trains. The radiant is just south of the celestial equator and rises only a few hours before dawn at northern latitudes, so the shower is at its best from the southern hemisphere and the tropics.

Forecast for New York, worked out for the 2027 peak from the positions of the Sun, the Moon and the Eta Aquariid radiant. Type your town into the Meteor Tracker for your own times. Last updated: 13 November 2026.

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