Shooting stars from the famous Halley’s Comet will reach their peak tonight during the annual Eta Aquariid meteor shower
09:08, 05 May 2025Updated 09:08, 05 May 2025
A famous comet’s annual meteor shower is set to light up skies tonight(Image: NASA via Getty Images)
The peak of the Eta Aquariid meteor shower is set to light up UK skies this week.
The annual meteor shower has been active since April 19, 2025 and ‘shooting stars’ could be spotted until May 28.
The best time to see the Eta Aquariids is in the early morning of the peak, starting after midnight and becoming more intense before dawn. Most meteor showers have a set date of peak activity, but the Eta Aquariid display peaks between May 5-7.
Stargazers could witness a peak rate of 40 meteors per hour under perfect night sky conditions.
Last month, the annual Lyrid meteor shower – the world’s oldest known meteor shower – dazzled skies across the world. The spectacular display happens every year when the Earth passes through debris left by a comet on its journey around the Sun.
Up to 40 shooting stars an hour could be spotted during the Eta Aquariids peak(Image: Danny Lawson/PA)
Like the Lyrids, which is the trail of C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), the Eta Aquariid shower is caused by debris from comet 1P/Halley (Halley’s Comet). Whenever the Earth moves through the trail of these comets, a number of pieces of debris fall into our atmosphere and burn up to create ‘shooting stars’ – a glowing, short-lived streak of light.
Halley’s Comet orbits the Sun on an average of every 76 years and last returned to Earth in 1985/86. It reached its furthest point from the Sun in 2023 and is now heading back towards our home planet to make its next appearance in 2061, according to EarthSky.
The Eta Aquariid meteor shower is one of two annual displays from the debris of Halley’s Comet. The other is the Orionid meteor shower, which peaks around October 21.
Best time to see the Eta Aquariids in 2025 display
The meteor shower will peak the night of Monday (May 5) into the morning hours of Tuesday (May 6), according to NASA.
The Eta Aquariid shower is best viewed from the Southern Hemisphere. Meteors will appear to originate from low in the sky from the Northern Hemisphere. However, shooting stars will still be visible from the eastern sky in the UK.
Shooting stars can be seen when Earth passes through the debris of a comet(Image: PA)
The best time to spot meteors from the UK is between 3am and 5am, according to Starwatch.
How to see the Eta Aquariid meteor shower
Most meteor showers are named after the constellation in the night sky that meteors appear to radiate from. The Lyrids, for example, are named after the constellation Lyra.
The Eta Aquariid can be seen radiating from the Aquarius constellation, specifically one of its stars called Eta Aquarii, according to the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
As with any night sky event, meteor showers are best viewed in a dark sky location away from high buildings and street lights. You won’t need binoculars or a telescope, as this shower will be visible with the naked eye.
Meteors lit up the sky during the Lyrids meteor shower last month(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Prof Albert Zijlstra, Professor of Astrophysics at The University of Manchester, told the Manchester Evening News ahead of the Lyrid meteor shower: “If you want to have a go, be outside at around 2 to 4am, find a dark spot, take some 10-15 minutes for your eyes to get dark adjusted and look up.
“If you need your phone, cover it in red cellophane so it keeps your night vision intact.”
Will skies be clear for the 2025 Eta Aquariids peak?
According to Met Office cloud cover maps, clear skies are forecast across most of the UK at 3am on Tuesday (May 6), with patchy cloud above northern Scotland and across the east of England.
Met Office maps show largely clear skies across the UK on May 6(Image: The Met Office)
Forecasts show temperatures of 8C in southern parts of the UK, while northern areas will see temperatures of around 5C.
The Met Office forecast for tonight states: “A few light showers possible tonight in eastern England. Dry elsewhere with largely clear skies and a patchy frost. A few fog patches possible in Northern Ireland and western Scotland.”