05/05/2026
HEADS UP: The Eta Aquariids are one of the year’s fastest and most reliable meteor showers, and they put on an especially good show from the Blue Mountains thanks to our dark, high-altitude skies.
What the Eta Aquariids are
The Eta Aquariids come from tiny dust and ice fragments left behind by Halley’s Comet, which Earth ploughs through every year from about April 19 to May 28.
These meteors hit our atmosphere at roughly 65 kilometres per second (about 235,000 km/h), often leaving fine glowing trains that hang in the sky for a few seconds.
When and how to watch in 2026
In 2026, the shower’s broad maximum falls in the pre‑dawn hours of May 5–7, with the best rates between about 2 am and first light when the radiant in Aquarius is highest.
Under ideal dark-sky conditions, you might see up to around 50 meteors per hour, but this year an 80% waning gibbous Moon will wash out the faintest streaks and cut the numbers down.
Why the Blue Mountains are ideal
The Blue Mountains sit above much of Sydney’s haze and glow, offering “black sky” conditions that make every surviving meteor stand out more sharply against the background.
Open lookouts and observatory-style sites in the region give you wide eastern horizons—exactly what you want for a shower that appears to fan out from the constellation Aquarius low in the pre‑dawn sky.
What to expect on the night
Even with the bright Moon, patient observers can still enjoy fast, graceful meteors slicing across the sky, especially in brief lulls when the Moon is behind clouds or terrain.
Think of the Eta Aquariids as a bonus layer on top of a regular stargazing session in the Mountains: you still get planets, constellations and the Milky Way, with sudden shooting stars as the fiery highlights.
DARK SKY map: www.askroz.news/Dark-Sky-Map
Photo: Secret Sydney
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