See the Eta Aquarids Spring Meteor Show

Set your alarm and get up before dawn to witness the Eta Aquarids meteor shower. In 2017, the forecast calls for the greatest number of Eta Aquarid meteors to light up the predawn darkness on May 5 and 6.

Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
May 5-6, 2017 | Peak is the wee hours before dawn

“Catch fleeting pieces of Comet Halley trash, as Earth passes through the famous dirty snowball’s path” – The Washington Post

This shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, and is often the Southern Hemisphere’s best meteor shower of the year. In 2017, the waxing gibbous moon shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as it will set before the prime-time viewing during the dark hour before dawn. The Eta Aquarids are mainly a predawn shower.

When and how should I watch the Eta Aquarids? In 2017, the most meteors will probably rain down on the mornings of May 5 and 6, in the dark hours before dawn. But watch on May 7 as well.

The broad peak to this shower means that some meteors may fly in the dark hour before dawn for a few days before and after the predicted optimal date.

Source: EarthSky