Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower Peaks: When To View In Tucson

TUCSON, AZ — Get up early — or stay up late, depending on how you look at it — the next few mornings to catch a glimpse of the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which peaks during the dark sky hours before dawn Sunday, May 5. Tucson is not expected to disappoint, with a mild temperatures and clear skies expected throughout the weekend.

The Eta Aquarids, which run through May 28 and can produce 20 to 40 meteors an hour at the peak, are produced by dust particles left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet. The Eta Aquarids is one of two meteor showers produced by the comet. The other is the Orionids meteor shower in October.

For the best chances to see an Eta Aquarids meteor, start watching around 3 a.m local time when the constellation Aquarius begins to emerge from beyond the east-southeast horizon, according to Space.com. The shooting stars radiate from Aquarius, but can be seen from anywhere in the sky. The thin crescent moon sets in the early morning, making for ideal viewing conditions.

The Eta Aquarids are fast and the brightest can produce persistent trails. Now that ground temperatures are warming, consider laying a thick blanket on the ground and simply look up. The farther south you live, the better the chances are of seeing Eta Aquarids meteors, according to Earthsky.org.

There’s an outside chance you may see an Earth-grazer — a meteor that skims along the Earth’s horizon. They’re rare, but are a great return on your investment of time spent outside looking up at the sky.

The Eta Aquarids are the last meteor shower of the spring, but get ready for a wealth of summer meteor showers. Summer showers include the Southern Delta Aquarids, which peak July 29-30; the Alpha Capricornids, which peak July 26-27; and the king of meteor showers, the Perseids, which peak Aug. 12-13.

Of course Tucson takes its dark skies seriously, with ordinances and zoning laws limiting the types of street lighting. The city headquarters the International Dark Sky Association, a non-profit working to limit light pollution.

USA Today ranked Tucson as the 2nd best place to see the Perseid meteor shower last year.