Spectacular Showers: Eta Aquarid to Peak & How To See It In Texas

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is set to peak tomorrow night (May 5th) and into the early hours of May 6th- giving you the perfect excuse to stay up really late this Friday.

Interestingly, the Eta Aquarid is made of ice and dust that fell off of the famous Hailey's Comet.

And while the Eta Aquarid favors the Southern Hemisphere, those of us in the Southern U.S. (e.g. Texas) do have the opportunity to view it, if we are patient. We won't see as many meteors per hour, and there is one more obstacle:

Unfortunately this year’s Eta Aquarids will have to go up against plenty of moonlight. That will likely wash out many of the meteors zipping across the predawn skies.

Of course, if your part of Texas has cloud cover during that time, that will also complicate things. But don't give up! There are ways to maximize your viewing.

First, you should find a place with as little light pollution as possible- this might be a great reason to visit the country.

Give your eyes plenty of time to adjust to the darkness, that means putting down your phone for an hour beforehand.

The best time to see the shower is between 3 a.m. and pre-dawn. You might need some coffee.

Make sure you have a clear view to the South.

The stars are big and bright here in Texas, here's hoping this spectacular meteor shower will be, too, from your vantage point. As someone who turns into a pumpkin at midnight, I'm not sure I'll see the shower, but I'm certainly going to try.