✦ Eta Aquariids from Cape Town
Eta Aquariids in Cape Town
00
days
:
00
hrs
:
00
min
:
00
sec
The Eta Aquariids meteor shower peaks from Cape Town around May 5-6, with up to 40 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. In 2026 a new moon means dark skies, and from Cape Town the radiant in Aquarius climbs to 42° above the north-east horizon around 05:55. Local best viewing window: 04:25–05:55 SAST on the peak night, about 1.5 hours of astronomical darkness. Scaled to that altitude, the 40/hour headline figure works out to roughly 27 meteors an hour from Cape Town under a genuinely dark sky. Tonight: solid cover, with no real breaks forecast.
2026 Conditions in Cape Town
Peak Night
May 5-6
Meteors/Hour Here
~27
40 with the radiant overhead
Moon
🌑 Great
Best Viewing
04:25 — 05:55
SAST · radiant 42° north-east
Tonight's Weather in Cape Town
How to Watch from Cape Town
- Find a dark spot away from city lights — parks, hilltops, or rooftops work well
- Lie on your back and look straight up — no telescope needed
- Give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt to the dark
- Face north-east — Aquarius reaches 42° at 05:55 SAST, its highest while the sky is still dark