A bright meteor streaks across the Milky Way during the Perseid meteor shower, photographed in a 30-second exposure from Spruce Knob, West Virginia
Celestial event

Eta Aquariids 2026: what to expect from tonight's peak with an 84% moon

The Eta Aquariids peaked at 03:51 UTC on May 5, but this shower has a broad maximum — activity tonight and tomorrow morning (May 6–7) will be nearly as strong as peak night. The problem isn’t timing. It’s the moon: an 84%-illuminated waning gibbous will sit above the horizon during the entire pre-dawn window when the radiant is highest. That cuts your visible count roughly in half compared to a moonless year. ...

May 6, 2026 · 6 min · Andreas Ioannou