The Eta Aquarid Meteor Shower Will Dazzle Stargazers Tonight—Here's How to See It

Tonight's the night to catch the Eta Aquarid meteor shower at its most spectacular moment. Active from April 19 to May 28, May 5 is when it reaches peak activity.

This meteor shower is the result of Earth passing through the debris left behind by Halley's Comet. When comets travel around the sun, they leave behind a dusty trail. Every year, as Earth passes through this debris, the leftover floating bits collide with our atmosphere and disintegrate, creating fiery streaks in the sky known as meteors, according to NASA.

Per the space agency, the Eta Aquarid meteors are known for their speed, with the meteors traveling at about 40.7 miles per second into Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave behind glowing trains that linger for several seconds to minutes, putting on a dazzling show for stargazers.

People in the southern hemisphere will have the best view of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, with the potential to see up to 50 meteors per hour, according to NASA. This is because the meteor shower's point of origin (known as the radiant) is in the constellation Aquarius, which is higher in the sky in the southern hemisphere than it is in the northern hemisphere. However, NASA estimates that stargazers in the northern hemisphere may still see around 10 meteors per hour under a dark sky.

The best time to view the Eta Aquarids in the U.S. will be a few hours before dawn on May 6. To see the shooting stars, NASA recommends finding an area away from city lights or street lights. Lie down on your back with your feet pointing to the east. After about 30 minutes, your eyes will adapt to the dark, and you will begin to see meteors.