The Eta Aquarids shower is expected to peak overnight between May 5 and 6, producing up to 10 to 15 meteors per hour! Torontonians can best spot the shower between the hours of 3 am and 6 am.
According to timeanddate.com, the Eta Aquarids shower is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Halley’s Comet — which takes about 76 years to make a complete revolution around the Sun — and it will be active until May 28 (but again, tonight, it’ll reach its peak).
The Aquarid meteors are known for their speed — they can travel about 65 kilometers per second into Earth’s atmosphere, says NASA. These meteors will leave glowing, incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor, so it’s something you won’t want to miss!
You don’t need any special equipment to view this celestial event. Find a safe, secluded spot outside (preferably away from the city lights). A few good spots include anywhere near Tommy Thompson Park (Leslie Street spit), Ward’s Island, Gibraltar Beach (the south face of the island), the Scarborough Bluffs or even your backyard.
Once you find the perfect spot to watch the meteor shower, lie down on the ground and look up at the sky (the meteors can appear in any part of the night sky).
If you miss tonight’s celestial event, the Earth will pass through Halley’s path around the Sun a second time this October, leading to the Orionid meteor shower, which will peak at around October 20.
In fact, there are quite a few meteor showers taking place throughout 2025, including the Perseids (July and August), Draconids (October), Leonids (November), Geminids and Ursids (December)!
This summer, look out for a planetary conjunction of Venus and Jupiter just before sunrise on Aug 12. From Toronto, the pair will be visible from around 3:14 am to around 5:56 am.
We’ve also got one more Super Full Moon taking place later this year, on Nov 5, 2025. As a Supermoon is closer to Earth, it’ll appear larger and brighter in the sky! Click here for all the must-see stargazing events in Toronto for 2025.