Cape Town, South Africa
Eta Aquariids 2027 from Cape Town
The Eta Aquariids peak on the night of Wednesday, May 5. From Cape Town the best time to watch is the last dark hour, before about 6:28 AM, when the radiant is partway up in the northeast. Under a dark sky that means up to about 37 meteors an hour. From inside the city you will see far fewer.
The night at a glance
- Gets dark
- 6:57 PM
- Radiant rises
- 2:27 AM
- Best time
- The last hour before 6:28 AM
- Light again
- 6:28 AM
- Moon
- 1% lit and below the horizon all night
Times are local to Cape Town, worked out for the city centre. Dark means the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.
Where to look
Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. They streak away from the radiant, which sits partway up in the northeast at its best. Face that way but keep your gaze wide. Give your eyes twenty minutes to adjust and keep your phone in your pocket. The darker your spot, the more you will see.
About the Eta Aquariids
The Eta Aquariids are active from late April to late May. The meteors are debris from Halley's Comet (1P/Halley) and hit the atmosphere at about 66 km per second. At the peak, a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead would show about 50 an hour. Real counts are lower.