Eta Aquariid meteor shower to light up Australian skies in one of the best shows of the year
ABCRug up, set your alarm clock and get ready to see one of the best sky shows over Australia this week. The Eta Aquariid meteor shower, which occurs every May, is one of the highlights of the year for seasoned sky watchers. Unlike many other meteor showers, the Eta Aquariids are best seen in the Southern Hemisphere, where the radiant is higher in the sky and the twilight is longer before sunrise at this time of year. Location May 4 May 5 May 6 May 7 May 8 Adelaide 11/hr 13/hr 16/hr 16/hr 9/hr Brisbane 12/hr 14/hr 17/hr 17/hr 10/hr Canberra 11/hr 13/hr 16/hr 16/hr 9/hr Darwin 12/hr 15/hr 17/hr 17/hr 9/hr Hobart 10/hr 12/hr 14/hr 15/hr 9/hr Melbourne 11/hr 13/hr 15/hr 16/hr 9/hr Perth 11/hr 14/hr 16/hr 16/hr 9/hr Sydney 11/hr 13/hr 14/hr 11/hr 7/hr How to get the best view Catching a meteor is a bit like catching buses, you may need to wait for a while, then several may come at once. "If you look directly at the radiant the spot where the meteors originate from you won't see any because the meteor burn starts away from the radiant."