Eta Aquariids 2026
Fast Halley's-Comet debris; best before dawn and especially rewarding from the southern hemisphere.
Maximum: May 6, 2026 Active: Apr 19 – May 28
Viewing from New York
The Eta Aquariids reach maximum on May 6, 2026, with a peak rate of up to 50 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies (active Apr 19 – May 28). A bright 81%-lit Waning Gibbous is up through much of the peak night and will drown out all but the brightest meteors. A poor year. Rates stay elevated for several nights either side of the maximum, so you do not need to catch the exact peak night.
Nominal ZHR
50/hr
Moon
81% Waning Gibbous
Moon interference
Significant (bad)
Moon conditions computed for New York, 2026.
About the Eta Aquariids
Active
Apr 19 – May 28
Radiant (J2000)
22h 32m, -1°
Velocity
66 km/s
Nominal ZHR
50 / hour
Population index
r = 2.4
Parent body
Comet 1P/Halley
The date of maximum is taken from the IMO Working List of Visual Meteor Showers; the radiant, velocity and parent body come from the IAU Meteor Data Center. Only the Moon phase and interference are computed for the year and location shown.