- The Eta Aquariids meteor shower will peak in Sydney in early May 2026, with up to 50 meteors an hour shooting across the sky.
- The meteor shower is made for the southern skies, with Aussies having one of the best views of this 2000-year-old celestial event.
- The peak time to see the meteor shower is in the early hours of May 6 and 7, so you’ll need to set your alarms.
While we eagerly await the start of Sydney’s favourite light show Vivid on May 22, 2026, the skies above Sydney are set to light up with a show 2000 years in the making.
The Eta Aquariids meteor shower will be making its way across our skies from late April to early May as it does every year. This meteor shower is formed from chunks of debris from Halley’s Comet (remember that astronomical fizzer from the mid-80s), and is considered one of the strongest in the Southern Hemisphere.
The meteor shower gets its name because the Eta Aquarii (Aquarius) star constellation appears in the background, with the meteors passing in the foreground. The show is technically already underway but will peak in the first week of May.
Read on to find out the best times and places to see the passing meteors.
When can I see the Eta Aquariids?
Cross your fingers for clear skies because that’s always the big factor on whether or not these meteor showers and other celestial events live up to the hype. Sydneysiders can expect to see the most impressive meteor shower between 2am and 5.45am on Thursday May 7, 2026. A few days either side of this peak should still offer an impressive meteor count with up 50 meteors, or shooting stars, an hour predicted.
The best time to see the meteors is in the early morning, before sunrise. That’s when the Aquarius constellation, where the meteors appear to come from, will be highest in the sky.
Unfortunately this year, the moon has other ideas about the Eta Aquariids putting on a show for us. The peak coincides with a bright waning gibbous moon, the phase immediately following a full moon, resulting in significant moonlight interference.
This means that while there may be 50 meteors an hour speeding through the sky, the light from the moon will drown many of these out and it may get down to just 10 an hour being visible. But how many shooting stars do you need to wish upon?
Where are the best places to watch the meteor shower in Sydney?
As with all celestial events, the main piece of advice to get a good view of the stars is get as far away from as much artificial lighting as possible. The more lights that are visible, the less likely you’ll be able to see the shooting stars in the sky above.
Patience is also key. It can take around 30 minutes for our eyes to properly adjust to the darkness – so that means put your phone away for at least half an hour and avoid the blue light emanating from your phone! Think of it as a digital detox while you wait for the meteors to materialise.
Your view of the stars is heavily dependent on cloud cover. There’s not much you can do about the clouds, but you can download the Sky Map app to monitor conditions so you don’t head out for disappointment. It can also help you ensure you are looking in the right direction.
As for locations, the Blue Mountains is fantastic place to be, away from the big city lights.
Amateur astronomers love to head out to Springwood Lookout, and you can also head down to Martin’s Lookout, at the end of Farm Road. If you want to stick closer to the city, Sydney Observatory in The Rocks is where most of Sydney’s sky nerds will flock to, while looking out across the ocean at Bondi Beach may prove a success—or you could take your chances at Badu Mangroves Bird Refuge, one of Sydney’s best-kept secrets just a short drive from Rhodes.
Generally speaking, anywhere with minimal lighting is your best bet.
