Eta Aquariids 2026: the moon at peak

May 6, 2026, 00:12 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

84% Mixed — significant moonlight for part of the night.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

May 6, 2026, 00:12 UTC

Illumination

84%

Waning gibbous

Peak rate (ZHR)

~50/hour

Radiant

Aquarius

Active period

Apr 19 – May 28

Peak night by city

For each city: the local time of the peak, and how much of that night is both astronomically dark and free of moonlight.

City	Peak (local time)	Astronomical darkness	Moon-free darkness	Moonrise	Moonset	Rating
Seoul	Wed, May 6 09:12	6.8 h	2.0 h	23:04	08:08 (+1)	Poor
Tokyo	Wed, May 6 09:12	7.0 h	2.0 h	22:05	07:23 (+1)	Poor
New York	Tue, May 5 20:12	6.3 h	2.4 h	00:08 (+1)	08:51 (+1)	Fair
Los Angeles	Tue, May 5 17:12	7.2 h	2.5 h	23:45	09:20 (+1)	Fair
London	Wed, May 6 01:12	3.6 h	1.9 h	01:04 (+1)	07:43 (+1)	Fair
Madrid	Wed, May 6 02:12	6.3 h	2.3 h	01:16 (+1)	10:00 (+1)	Fair
Sydney	Wed, May 6 10:12	10.5 h	0.7 h	19:16	10:34 (+1)	Poor
São Paulo	Tue, May 5 21:12	10.3 h	1.6 h	20:27	10:41 (+1)	Poor

Why the moon decides a meteor shower

Meteor rates quoted as ZHR assume a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Real counts fall off fast with sky brightness, and the moon is the one source of sky brightness that is completely predictable years ahead. A full moon near the peak can cut visible meteors by three quarters even under a cloudless sky. That is why the useful question is not “when is the peak” but “where is the moon at the peak” — which is what this page computes.

Other years

Other meteor showers

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