Skywatchers are in for a brief but exciting celestial event as the Eta Aquarid meteor shower reaches its peak this week. Triggered by debris left behind by Halley’s Comet, the annual shower is known for its fast-moving meteors and bright streaks across the night sky.
While it is more prominently visible in the southern hemisphere, observers in India can still catch the spectacle in the early morning hours, provided the skies are clear and viewing conditions are favourable.
Earth moves through this stream of dust each year at this same point in time. When this dust and debris enter the earth’s atmosphere at a very high velocity, it gets burned out and causes a bright trail of lights that people call ‘shooting stars’.
This is known as the ‘Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower,’ which happens to be one of the fastest and visually spectacular meteor showers of the year.
While it is more intense in the southern hemisphere, skywatchers in India can still catch a decent number of meteors under the right conditions.
Best time to watch the meteor shower in India
For viewers in India, the meteor shower peaks on the night of May 5–6, with the best chance to see meteors in the early morning hours of May 6.
The most suitable time is between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM IST, just before sunrise. This is when the meteor shower’s radiant, the point in the sky from where meteors appear to originate, rises higher, making sightings more frequent.
The Eta Aquarid meteor shower can also be watched online through free live streams from observatories and sky cams around the world, offering a clear view even if local conditions aren’t ideal. These live feeds bring the meteor display directly to your screen, regardless of your location.
What you can expect to see
Under ideal conditions, observers in India may spot about 10–30 meteors per hour. However, this year, visibility is likely to be affected by a bright waning gibbous moon, which may wash out fainter meteors. In many areas, the actual count could drop to fewer than 10 meteors per hour.
Even so, Eta Aquarids are known for their speed and glowing trails, so the ones you do see are often bright and memorable.
Look towards the eastern horizon before dawn. The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Aquarius.
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