Eta Aquariid meteor shower 2027: UK peak night and best time
1% moon
Peak night: 5–6 May 2027 Peak in 199 days
Active 19 Apr – 28 May 2027. 19 Apr Peak 28 May Best in the last hour before dawn, low in the south-east.
Up to 50 meteors an hour at the peak under a perfectly dark sky; expect fewer in practice. On the peak night, moonlight is no problem: the Moon is only 1% lit.
The Eta Aquariids at a glance
- Radiant
- The Water Jar asterism in Aquarius, near the star Eta Aquarii
- Parent
- Halley's Comet (1P/Halley)
- Meteor speed
- About 66 km/s (147,642 mph)
- Peak rate (ZHR)
- Up to 50 an hour
How many meteors to expect
The ZHR is about 50 at the peak, but that assumes the radiant overhead. From the UK it barely rises before dawn, so expect a handful an hour at best: a few long, fast meteors skimming up from the south-east horizon, many with persistent trains.
How to find the radiant
At UK latitudes the radiant clears the eastern horizon only shortly before morning twilight, leaving a short window to watch. Find a site with a flat, clear horizon to the east and south-east and look in the last hour before dawn. Because the radiant is so low, the meteors you do see travel a long way across the sky, which makes them striking.
About the Eta Aquariids
The Eta Aquariids come from the same comet as the Orionids in October: Halley's Comet, which orbits the Sun about every 76 years. Earth crosses Halley's debris twice a year, once on the way in to the Sun and once on the way out. This is one of the best showers of the year from the southern hemisphere, but useful observations need a site no further north than about 40 degrees, so from Britain it is a shower for keen early risers.
Where to watch the Eta Aquariids in the UK
Get away from street lights to somewhere with a wide view of the sky. Britain’s darkest skies sit over its upland national parks and Dark Sky Parks; each area below lists the peaks with forecasts and stargazing scores.
Eta Aquariids 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 5–6 May 2027.
What time is best to see the Eta Aquariids?
Best in the last hour before dawn, low in the south-east. On the peak night, moonlight is no problem: the Moon is only 1% lit.
Where should I look to see the Eta Aquariids?
The meteors appear to come from the Water Jar asterism in Aquarius, near the star Eta Aquarii. At UK latitudes the radiant clears the eastern horizon only shortly before morning twilight, leaving a short window to watch. Find a site with a flat, clear horizon to the east and south-east and look in the last hour before dawn. Because the radiant is so low, the meteors you do see travel a long way across the sky, which makes them striking.
How many Eta Aquariids will I see?
The ZHR is about 50 at the peak, but that assumes the radiant overhead. From the UK it barely rises before dawn, so expect a handful an hour at best: a few long, fast meteors skimming up from the south-east horizon, many with persistent trains.
More showers: Quadrantids · Lyrids · Southern Delta Aquariids · Alpha Capricornids · Perseids · Draconids · Orionids · Taurids · Leonids · Geminids · Ursids. Every sky event this year: the UK sky calendar.