If you missed the Aquarids meteor shower last year, here’s your second chance to witness the radiant spectacle. The recurring phenomenon attracts a large crowd of stargazers every May, when Earth travels through flecks of dense space debris from Comet Halley. Although the shower doesn’t result in fireballs, it still produces bright streaks that light up the night sky.
The Aquarids have been active since April 19, but they’re forecasted to peak on May 5 and May 6. According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), viewing conditions are expected to be "excellent" this year since the Aquarids will take place after the first quarter moon.
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But of course, some stargazers will be privy to a grander display than others. Countries south of or hovering near the equator, including Ecuador, Colombia, Brazil, and Kenya, will have prime visibility. In these places, you can see up to 50 meteors per hour. But what about the rest of us?
All this means for Americans, and others north of the equator, is that the meteors will be fewer and farther between, and a little bit harder to find—but not impossible!
As with most celestial events, the Aquarids are easiest to spot in the dark. So, plan your viewing party between the hours of midnight and dawn. The website Time and Date has a handy interactive map that provides helpful viewing tips, including time marks, weather patterns, and coordinates for your specific area.
Astronomer Phil Plait expanded on this concept in a story for Condé Nast Traveler. "Showers tend to peak after midnight—this is when the night side of Earth is facing into the direction of its orbit around the sun, so we see the meteors head-on (rather like how rain hits your front windshield when you drive in a storm rather than the rear window). This means the best hours for viewing are late at night or early morning before dawn," he wrote.
In the Northern Hemisphere, anywhere from 10 to 30 meteors per hour will grace the heavens. The good news is you won’t need binoculars or a fancy telescope to see the Aquarids. They’re visible to the naked human eye as long as you pick a good observation point.
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What qualifies a good view spot, you ask? For starters, you want to eliminate any and all obstructions. This includes tall buildings and skyscrapers, big trees, telephone poles, and so on. Additionally, darkness is key because you’re looking for radiant streaks in the sky, so stay away from bright city lights.
"The meteors themselves zip across the sky pretty rapidly, taking less than a second to burn up completely, so it’s easy to miss one. The more sky you can see the better odds you’ll have of catching one," Plait advised.
While meteor showers aren’t an uncommon phenomenon, a display of this size and radiance only happens a few times a year. In fact, there are only three more on the calendar for 2025. The Perseids are expected between Aug. 11 and 13. The Orionids will peak between Oct. 21 and 22, followed by the Geminids from Dec. 13 to 14.
