The Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Lights Up Illinois Skies This Week

It's been a busy time in the skies over Illinois for the last week or so, and things are not going to calm down just yet.

Last week, Illinois skywatchers got the double-treat of the super-rare Smiley Face in the Sky and the peak of the Lyrid Meteor Showers. Cloud cover in Northern Illinois limited visibility of the Smiley Face in the Sky, but things cleared out enough over the weekend that many people reported seeing the Lyrids when they put on a show during several straight nights.

Now, there's another meteor shower, the Eta Aquariids, heading for its peak viewing time over the next few days, with the absolute peak arriving this coming Monday and Tuesday nights. You'll see the number of visible meteors grow each night as we get closer to the peak.

Here's what you'll need to know to catch them before they fade away for another year.

The 2025 Eta Aquariid Meteor Shower Is Active Between April 15th and May 27th, With The Peak Happening On May 4th and 5th

Last week, we actually got a mix of two meteor showers, the Lyrids and the Eta Aquariids, as the Lyrids were winding down from their peak, and the Eta Aquariids were just starting to get rolling across Illinois' nighttime skies. Now we're down to just one, but with the right conditions, it should be really cool to see.

According to Space.com, other than a chance of clouds, conditions will be spot-on:

The peak of the Eta Aquarids is at the same time as the first quarter moon. But moonlight will provide minimal interference as the dawn sky around the meteor shower's peak will be moonless.

A bright moon is the enemy of skywatchers who want to catch the meteor shower, because the brighter the moon is, the more it washes out the sky and keeps you from getting the full effect of the meteor shower. That won't be a problem over the next few days.

Let's Get Into The Details For Those Who Don't Mind Staying Up Late Or Getting Up Early For A Sky Show

According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the maximum rate for the Eta Aquariiids' shooting stars in a clear sky will be about 50 per hour. These are swift meteors that produce a high percentage of persistent trains, but few fireballs.

For the best chance at catching the meteor shower, you'll need to get up pretty early, or just stay up past midnight. NASA says that you should consider heading outside around 2:00am. Between 2:00am and sunrise, the rates of meteors will increase by the hour.

EarthSky.org:

Find a dark, open sky away from artificial lights, and sprawl out on a reclining lawn chair.

Make yourself comfortable with a hot flask of your favorite beverage. Keep warm but not so snug that you fall asleep!

Meteor watching is a lot like fishing. Sometimes you catch a good number of them, and sometimes you don’t.