
What is the best time to see the Eta Aquariids meteor shower? Where and how can I see it in Australia?
The meteors — called the Eta Aquariids – pass through the atmosphere every year, but 2025 is due to be particularly luminous as the moon won't be visible when they arrive.
Here's how to catch a view of the celestial delight.
What is the best time to see the Eta Aquariids meteor shower?
The good thing is this particular meteor shower not only happens every year, but spans multiple days.
McElroy said Wednesday 7 May would be the 'best day' for stargazers, with around two dozen meteors expected to pass per hour.
But if it happens to be cloudy that day, you won't blink and miss it. The shower will continue to have a strong showing on the days preceding and following 7 May, before tapering off at the end of the month.
'Often these things are quite short-lived … it'll peak this week but it will continue,' McElroy said.
Unfortunately, though, the best viewing window is between 3am and 5am – 'not for the faint-hearted or those who feel the cold'.
If you happen to find yourself awake in the early dawn, though, you're in luck.
Where can I watch the Eta Aquarrids?
The Eta Aquariids can be viewed anywhere in the world, but they are best seen from the southern hemisphere where the shower will rise in the pre-dawn, darkened sky.
In Australia, every state and territory will be able to witness the display. But McElroy said areas with the lowest light pollution would have the greatest visibility – such as Uluru and remote parts of the Northern Territory.
'These things aren't enormously bright, so you want to get away from as much light pollution as you can,' McElroy said. 'If you're in the city, get into the suburbs and away from bright lights.'
Australia is lucky. McElroy said the best skies she has seen have been in Australia and in Chile because they look towards the centre of the Milky Way.
'In the northern hemisphere, you spend most of the year looking to the outskirts, but our winter happens to have the Milky Way's centre up in sky, and parts of Australia are very dark with a lot of protected [areas], like national parks,' she said.
What are the best stargazing tips for how to watch?
After heading outside, McElroy said you should first 'check the weather … That's the most important part. If it's cloudy you're not going to see anything, which is the curse of astronomy.'
Then, turn off any porch or external lights and look away from bright street lights or your phone – which resets our daytime vision.
'Our eyes have a high dynamic range, and it takes 10 to 20 minutes to adjust to the night sky,' McElroy said. 'Grab a blanket, have a lie down and stay out there for an hour.'
The constellation of Aquarius, where the meteors will appear, are in the north-east of the sky. Apps such as Star Mapper or Stellarium can help display the correct spot – but make sure you keep your brightness down.
Why does the meteor shower occur?
The Eta Aquariids are caused by Earth passing through debris left behind by Halley's Comet hundreds of years ago.
Dr Rebecca McElroy, an astrophysicist from the University of Southern Queensland, said Earth passes through the debris field every year.
As the bits of rock and dust hit the atmosphere at high speeds, they burn up and create bright streaks – creating what we call meteors.
'Meteors tend to look like a bright streak going by, like a shooting star, but more,' McElroy said. 'Occasionally they happen just randomly – when something of a high density is in our path.'
It is known as 'Eta Aquariids' because of the part of the sky in which the meteors appear – which is near the star Eta Aquarii in the constellation of Aquarius.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Perseid meteor shower: When and how to watch the celestial spectacle
Stargazers will have their best chance to see the annual Perseid meteor shower on Tuesday night. The Perseid shower can contain 50 to 100 meteors per hour, and has been described by Nasa as the 'most popular meteor shower of the year'. Here is everything you need to know about how and when to catch the display in the skies above Britain. What is the Perseid meteor shower? Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through a stream of meteoroids, which are pieces of debris left behind by a comet. In the case of the Perseid shower, the comet 109P/Swift-Tuttle has passed through the solar system and left a giant, invisible trail of space debris. Upon coming into contact with the Earth's atmosphere, the debris burns up – creating bright, fiery streaks which we can see. The Perseid shower – named after Perseus, the constellation that the meteors are believed to originate from – are also known for their fireballs. These are characterised by larger explosions of light and colour which stay in the sky for longer than the average meteor streak. What time will it be visible? The Perseid shower has been active since July 17 and will continue until Aug 24. Your best chance of catching a glimpse is from midnight on Tuesday until the early hours of Wednesday. Where is the best place to watch? Visibility of this year's Perseid meteor shower may be hindered by the Sturgeon Moon – the name given to the August full moon – which will continue to illuminate the night sky on Tuesday. Stargazers in northern England, East Anglia and the Midlands are expected to have clear skies throughout the night, with some cloudy spots in Northern Ireland as well as the south coast and north-west of England. To give yourself the best chance of seeing the phenomenon, avoid areas with lots of lights, such as towns and cities, which can create a glare and obscure your view. Lying down with a view of the whole sky gives you the best chance of spotting meteors. Ensure you give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness – it can take about 20 minutes for them to adapt.


The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
WA Museum partnership with Woodside criticised as record-breaking marine heatwave decimates coral reefs
The WA Greens and the state's peak conservation body have condemned the extension of a research partnership between the Western Australian Museum and Woodside, as the state reels from a record-breaking marine heatwave that has killed corals over a 1,500km stretch of ocean. The five-year continuation of the 'longstanding collaboration', in which the gas giant supports the museum's biodiversity research along the WA coastline, would allow for further targeted research along the Gascoyne coast, according to announcements. In a post on its LinkedIn page, the museum wrote that 'to mark the milestone' Woodside was supporting free general admission to the WA Maritime Museum on Sunday 17 August for the 'Woodside Energy Open Day' and the event would feature 'family-friendly activities all about marine science' as part of National Science Week. The new deal – which extends the 28-year partnership – and the open day have been promoted in front page advertisements in WA media this week. Sign up: AU Breaking News email It has prompted fury from climate advocates and the WA Greens as it coincides with the release of research about the extent of the damage caused by a record-breaking, climate-change fuelled marine heatwave to the state's coral reefs. The heatwave, which started to build off the north-west WA coast in August 2024, has been called 'the most severe coral bleaching on record for Western Australian coral reefs'. It has left 75% of affected coral either bleached or dead, according to a group of scientists from state and federal government departments, agencies and universities who worked on this week's report. The WA Greens fossil fuels and climate action spokesperson Sophie McNeill wrote to the museum on Tuesday seeking a briefing from its director Alec Coles 'because it seems like they [the museum] don't understand the relationship between fossil fuel companies and the devastating impacts of climate change we are seeing right now on our marine environment'. 'It is so inappropriate that the WA Museum has chosen to continue its partnership with one of the world's largest fossil fuel companies as our world heritage listed coral reefs are literally dying in front of our eyes,' McNeill said. 'As one of the state's biggest polluters, Woodside should not be allowed anywhere near marine science in Western Australia given they are responsible for the current devastation we are seeing along our coastline that is so universally loved by all.' McNeill expressed concern that children visiting museums to learn about oceans were being exposed to branding from 'the very same fossil fuel giant that is contributing to the death of our coral reefs'. 'It is deeply alarming that our precious institutions here in WA are so deeply captured, just like the WA Labor government, by fossil fuel companies like Woodside,' she said. In a statement, a spokesperson from WA Museum described it as 'independent, science-led, and committed to the people and the environment of Western Australia'. The spokesperson added that WA Museum relies on 'a diverse range of funding sources – including government, competitive research grants, philanthropic contributions, and corporate support'. They continued that 'engaging constructively and transparently with industry' allowed WA Museum to expand knowledge of WA's ecosystems, 'foster dialogue between sectors' and 'ensure that decisions about environmental impact are informed by the best available science'. The Conservation Council of WA said the museum, as a state government institution, should reject the extended sponsorship arrangement. Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion 'If there is funding required the government should show some leadership and actually put up the money and ensure that important research is still continuing,' executive director Matt Roberts said. 'So that we're not relying on the very industry that is causing our marine systems to be on the brink of collapse to fund the research into that collapse.' Roberts said the council was organising a 'requiem for our reefs' at the Maritime Museum on Sunday to highlight the 'devastating impact of Woodside's emissions on WA's coral reef system, and calling for public support to stop Australia's biggest polluter from drilling for new gas under the pristine Scott Reef in the Browse Basin'. Paul Gamblin, the chief executive of the Australian Marine Conservation Society, questioned Woodside's motives, asking'what do they seek to gain from it?' 'Particularly given the very clear evidence of the marine environment coming under increasing stress, one might imagine we're going to see more of this kind of sponsorship and public relations.' The spokesperson for the WA Museum said 'Woodside neither directs the research, nor participates in it [and] the Museum retains all intellectual property generated, other than that vested in Traditional Owners'. Woodside referred back to the company statement released last week, which said the ongoing collaboration had 'led to the discovery and description of numerous new species, and significantly increased understanding of the marine environment of Western Australia'. Chief executive Meg O'Neill said last week 'this renewed collaboration reaffirms Woodside's commitment to responsible environmental management and the ongoing discovery of WA's unique marine biodiversity'.


The Independent
6 hours ago
- The Independent
Perseid meteor shower: How to see hundreds of shooting stars tonight
The annual Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight, delivering 2025's biggest display of 'shooting stars'. Taking place every August, the Perseids are renowned for the bright, fast meteors that produce long tails as they burn up in the Earth's atmosphere at speeds of up to 60 kilometres (37 miles) per second. This year, a full Moon on the 9 August could impact visibility of some of the smaller meteors as the Perseid meteor shower reaches its peak. Here's a full guide to best catch a glimpse of the Perseids this week. When does the 2025 Perseid meteor shower peak? The 2025 Perseids began to appear on 17 July and will continue until 24 August, however the best display of shooting stars will be during the peak on the night of 12-13 August. Between 60-100 meteors will appear every hour under perfect conditions, with the highest intensity taking place just after 3am on Wednesday morning. This year's Perseids display takes place during a waning gibbous Moon with around 80 per cent illumination, which could interfere with views of fainter meteors. The natural light pollution produced by the Moon means the number of Perseid meteors observable with the naked eye will likely be significantly reduced, however the brightest ones will still shine through. How to see the Perseid meteor shower The Perseid meteor shower radiates from the constellation Perseus in the north east of the night's sky. The best way for casual observers to locate the Perseus constellation is through a smartphone astronomy app, though for meteor showers just looking up should be enough to see the shooting stars. Avoiding light pollution is key, so head away from street lights to a wide open space with clear views. As the Moon continues to wane throughout the week, its light will dim and the Perseids will be easier to see. Where is the best place to watch the Perseids? The Perseid meteor shower can be seen from anywhere in the northern hemisphere, with Perseus climbing high in the night sky. Some of the shooting stars can also be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, however the radiant is lower in the sky and therefore more easily obstructed by objects on the horizon. The latest forecast from the UK Met Office suggests that large parts of the UK and Ireland will have clear skies on Tuesday night. The Midlands and northern parts of England and Wales have minimal cloud cover, while most of central and eastern Ireland is also clear. What is the Perseid meteor shower? The annual Perseid meteor shower occurs when the comet Swift-Tuttle approaches the Sun, releasing a dust trail. As Earth's orbit crosses this cosmic dust, it burns up in the atmosphere to create what appear to be shooting stars that streak across the sky. The European Space Agency describes the Perseids as 'natural fireworks' that have been a regular feature of Earth's sky for millennia. 'It provides a fabulous spectacle for viewers on Earth,' the ESA said in an infographic on the phenomenon. 'The Perseid meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Perseus, from where the shooting stars seem to come.' Anyone unable to witness the Perseids this August will get another chance next year – and every year after that.