Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower Peaks: When To View In Eastern PA

Get up early — or stay up late, depending on how you look at it — the next few mornings to catch a glimpse of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which peaks during the dark sky hours before dawn Sunday, May 5. Whether you’ll be able to see it in the greater Philadelphia area depends on the local weather forecast, of course.

Things might be a bit tricky for viewing in the local area due to the rainy forecast. Thunderstorms are supposed to roll into the area Saturday evening, with rain likely after 2 a.m. on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service. It's not impossible that there could be intermittent clear periods, however.

Even if things are blotted out during the peak, the Eta Aquarids do run through May 28.

The showers, which can produce 20 to 40 meteors an hour at the peak, are produced by dust particles left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet. The Eta Aquarids is one of two meteor showers produced by the comet. The other is the Orionids meteor shower in October.

For the best chances to see an Eta Aquarids meteor, start watching around 3 a.m local time when the constellation Aquarius begins to emerge from beyond the east-southeast horizon, according to Space.com. The shooting stars radiate from Aquarius, but can be seen from anywhere in the sky. The thin crescent moon sets in the early morning, making for ideal viewing conditions.

The Eta Aquarids are fast and the brightest can produce persistent trails. Now that ground temperatures are warming, consider laying a thick blanket on the ground and simply look up. The farther south you live, the better the chances are of seeing Eta Aquarids meteors, according to Earthsky.org.

There’s an outside chance you may see an Earth-grazer — a meteor that skims along the Earth’s horizon. They’re rare, but are a great return on your investment of time spent outside looking up at the sky.

The Eta Aquarids are the last meteor shower of the spring, but get ready for a wealth of summer meteor showers. Summer showers include the Southern Delta Aquarids, which peak July 29-30; the Alpha Capricornids, which peak July 26-27; and the king of meteor showers, the Perseids, which peak Aug. 12-13.