🔭 Astronomical Events

May 4 – 10, 2026

Written by Mia Astrology ✨🌌

This week brings one of the most exciting annual meteor displays, a beautifully thinning Moon, and excellent planetary viewing both after sunset and before sunrise. If you’ve been waiting for a dramatic sky moment in 2026, this is it.

All information below follows confirmed 2026 astronomical cycles, including lunar phase calculations and the annual Eta Aquariids meteor shower peak.

☄️ Major Highlight: Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower

🌠 Peak: Night of May 5 into May 6, 2026

The Eta Aquariids are debris from Halley’s Comet — yes, that Halley’s Comet.

What to expect:

• Up to 30 meteors per hour under ideal conditions
• Fast, bright meteors
• Best viewed after midnight
• Radiant in the constellation Aquarius

✨ Why this year is favorable:
The Moon will be waning gibbous, rising later in the night, meaning darker skies in the late-night and pre-dawn window.

Best Viewing Time

1:30 AM – 5:00 AM local time
Look toward the eastern sky.

Southern Hemisphere observers often see higher rates than Northern Hemisphere observers.

🌙 Moon Phase This Week

🌗 Last Quarter Moon — May 9, 2026

At Last Quarter:

• The Moon rises around midnight
• Highest near sunrise
• Sets around midday

This means:

• Early evenings are beautifully dark
• Pre-dawn hours feature a half-illuminated Moon

Best lunar photography nights:

• May 8–10

🌌 Deep-Sky Viewing Conditions

Early evenings this week are excellent for:

• Virgo Galaxy Cluster
• Leo Triplet
• Whirlpool Galaxy (M51)
• Globular clusters beginning to rise in Hercules

If you prefer galaxy season over meteor season, this week gives you both.

🪐 Planet Watch

🌇 After Sunset (Western Sky)

• Venus remains bright and unmistakable
• Mars visible nearby
• Jupiter steady and brilliant

Best window:
30–75 minutes after sunset

🌅 Before Sunrise (Eastern Sky)

• Saturn continues rising earlier
• Eta Aquariid meteors visible during this window

Best window:
60–90 minutes before sunrise

🌍 Local Viewing Windows

🇺🇸 United States

Evening observing:

• ET: ~8:25 PM – 10:35 PM
• CT: ~7:55 PM – 10:05 PM
• MT: ~7:25 PM – 9:35 PM
• PT: ~7:40 PM – 9:50 PM

Meteor peak:
~1:30 AM – 5:00 AM

Best dark evenings: May 4–7

🇨🇦 Canada

Evening observing:

• AT: ~8:45 PM – 10:55 PM
• ET: ~8:25 PM – 10:35 PM
• CT: ~7:55 PM – 10:05 PM
• MT: ~7:25 PM – 9:35 PM
• PT: ~7:40 PM – 9:50 PM

Meteor peak:
~1:30 AM – 5:00 AM

Northern skies offer especially crisp meteor trails.

🇬🇧 United Kingdom (BST)

Evening observing:
~8:45 PM – 11:00 PM BST

Meteor peak:
~2:00 AM – 4:30 AM BST

Moon rises later in the night — helpful for meteor viewing early in the peak window.

🇦🇺 Australia

Southern Hemisphere advantage this week 🌠

Evening observing:
~7:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Meteor peak:
~2:00 AM – 5:30 AM

Eta Aquariids are often stronger in Australia than in northern regions.

🗓 Week At A Glance

Date	Event
May 4	Dark evening skies
May 5–6	🌠 Eta Aquariids Meteor Shower Peak
May 9	🌗 Last Quarter Moon
May 10	Moon rises after midnight

🌠 Fun Sky Challenges

✔ Count meteors for 20 minutes
✔ Try long-exposure meteor photography
✔ Spot Saturn before sunrise
✔ Compare meteor rates before and after moonrise