Meteor Activity Outlook for 9-15 May 2026

During this period the moon’s phase will reach its last quarter phase on Saturday May 9th. At that time the half-illuminated moon will rise near 03:00 and will remain in the sky the remainder of the night. The best time to view meteor activity this week would be between midnight and moonrise, when there is no lunar interference.

This weekend evening observers can expect total hourly rates of 1 from mid-northern latitudes (45°N) and near 2 from tropical southern locations (25°S). Morning observers may see rates near 5 from mid-northern latitudes and near 7 from tropical southern locations. Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight.

The actual rates observed will also depend on factors such as personal light and motion perception, local weather conditions, alertness, and experience in watching meteor activity. Note that the hourly rates listed below are estimates based on observations from dark-sky sites away from urban light sources. Observers viewing from urban areas will see less activity, as only the brighter meteors will be visible from such locations.

The radiant (the area of the sky from which meteors appear to originate) positions and rates listed below are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning, May 9/10. These positions do not change greatly from day to day, so the listed coordinates may be used throughout this entire period. Most star atlases (available online, in bookstores, and at planetariums) include maps with celestial coordinate grids that can help you locate these positions in the sky.

I have also included charts of the sky that display the radiant positions for evening, midnight, and morning. The center of each chart represents the sky directly overhead at the corresponding hour. These charts are oriented towards facing south but can be used for any direction by rotating them accordingly. A planisphere or planetarium app is also useful for showing the sky at any time of night on any date of the year.

Activity from each radiant is best seen when it is positioned highest in the sky (culmination), either due north or south along the meridian, depending on your latitude. Radiants that rise after midnight will not reach their highest point until daylight; therefore, it is best to view them during the last few hours of the night.

It must be remembered that meteor activity is rarely seen directly at the radiant position. Rather, meteors shoot outward from the radiant, so it is best to center your field of view so that the radiant lies near the edge rather than the center. Viewing in this way allows you to trace the path of each meteor back to the radiant (if it belongs to a shower) or in another direction if it is sporadic. Meteor activity is not visible from radiants located far below the horizon.

The positions below are listed in west-to-east order by right ascension (celestial longitude). The positions listed first are located farther west and are therefore accessible earlier in the night, while those listed farther down the list rise later.

The following sources of meteoric activity are expected to be active this week:

The center of the large Anthelion (ANT) radiant is currently located at 16:08 (242) -21. This position lies in northwestern Scorpius, near the spot occupied by the 4^th magnitude double star known as omega Scorpii. This radiant is best placed near 01:00 LST, when it lies on the meridian is highest in the southern sky. Rates at this time should be less than 1 per hour as seen from the Northern Hemisphere and near 2 as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 30 km/sec, the average Anthelion meteor would be of slow velocity.

The eta Lyrids (ELY) are active from May 6-15 with maximum activity occurring on the 11th. The radiant is currently located at 19:16 (289) +41. This area of the sky is located in northeastern Lyra, 4 degrees northeast of the 4th magnitude star known as eta Lyrae. The radiant is also located 8 degrees northeast of the brilliant zero magnitude star known as Vega (alpha Lyrae). This radiant is best placed during the last hour before dawn when it lies highest above the horizon in a dark sky. Current rates are expected near 1 per hour as seen from the northern hemisphere and less than 1 and seen from south of the equator. These meteors are not well seen from locations south of the equator as the radiant does not rise very high into the northern sky. With an entry velocity of 47 km/sec., the average meteor from this source would be of medium velocity.

The eta Aquariids (ETA) are active from April 15 through May 27, with maximum activity expected on May 5. The radiant is currently located at 22:44 (341) +01. This position lies in northeastern Aquarius, 2 degrees northeast of the 4^th magnitude star known as eta Aquarii. These meteors are not visible prior to 02:00 LST and are best seen just before the start of dawn when the radiant lies highest in the eastern sky. Hourly rates are expected to be near 1 as seen from the Northern Hemisphere and 2 as seen from south of the equator. With an entry velocity of 65 km/sec, these meteors are swift.

Sporadic meteors are those that cannot be associated with any known meteor shower. All meteor showers evolve and disperse over time until they are no longer recognizable. Away from the peaks of major annual showers, sporadic meteors make up the bulk of the activity seen each night.

As seen from the mid-northern hemisphere (45°N), one can expect to see approximately 5 sporadic meteors per hour during the last hour before dawn from rural observing sites. Evening rates would be near 1 per hour. From tropical southern latitudes (25°S), morning rates would be around 7 per hour and evening rates near 2 per hour. Morning rates are reduced due to moonlight.

The list below provides information in tabular form on active showers within reach of the visual observer.

Rates and positions in the table are exact for Saturday night/Sunday morning May 9/10.

Class Explanation: A scale to group meteor showers by their intensity:

• Class I: the strongest annual showers with Zenith Hourly Rates normally ten or better.
• Class II: reliable minor showers with ZHR’s normally two to ten.
• Class III: showers that do not provide annual activity. These showers are rarely active yet have the potential to produce a major display on occasion.
• Class IV: weak minor showers with ZHR’s rarely exceeding two. The study of these showers is best left to experienced observers who use plotting and angular velocity estimates to determine shower association. These weak showers are also good targets for video and photographic work. Observers with less experience are urged to limit their shower associations to showers with a rating of I to III.