Every spring, Earth passes through a cosmic trail left behind by one of the most famous visitors from the outer solar system: Halley's Comet. The result is the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, a dazzling display of shooting stars that’s set to peak this year during the night of May 5, 2025 into the early hours of May 6, 2025.
If you’re hoping to catch one of the best celestial shows of the season, here’s everything you need to know about the Eta Aquarids — including what causes them, where they’ll be visible, and how you can get the best view.
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower occurs when Earth crosses paths with the stream of debris shed by Halley’s Comet during its cyclical journey around the Sun.
“Comet Halley takes 76 years to orbit once around the Sun,” says Nick Moskovitz, a planetary astronomer at Lowell Observatory. “When it approaches its ...
