“Rare Chance To See”: Southern Delta Aquariids Meteor Shower Expected To Peak Over SA Skies in July

• The Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower is set to peak over South Africa on the night of 30 to 31 July 2026
• Stargazers could spot up to 25 shooting stars per hour during the peak
• Some South Africans raised concerns that the full moon could affect visibility on the peak night

The Southern Delta Aquariids meteor shower will reach its annual peak on the night of 30 to 31 July 2026, giving stargazers across the country a chance to watch dozens of shooting stars light up the darkness.

According to the report by the South African on 08 July 2026, the best viewing window falls in the early hours of 31 July. Under ideal conditions, observers could see as many as 25 meteors per hour. The shower remains active from mid-July through August, so there are still opportunities to catch a stray streak of light before and after the peak night.

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"A major meteor shower will peak this month, offering South Africans the rare chance to see up to 25 meteors an hour under dark skies."

What you are actually seeing

NASA said that what most people call shooting stars are technically meteors: pieces of rocky debris that burn up as they enter Earth's atmosphere at high speed. Scientists estimate that around 44,000 kilograms of this kind of material fall to Earth every single day, though almost all of it vaporises before reaching the ground.

Meteor showers happen when Earth passes through the trail of dusty debris left behind by a comet. The Southern Delta Aquariids are named after the region of the sky from which the meteors appear to radiate.

View the Facebook post below:

South Africans weighed in

This is what Mzansi had to say on the page:

Wynand Louw said:

"It won't really be visible in the southern hemisphere, since it will be at the time of our full moon. So don't waste your time trying to look for it."

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Amanda Van Tonder asked:

"And here in SA? In which direction should one try and observe this shower?"

Philisiwe Mazibuko shared:

"A week ago we saw one with my partner."

Rod Suskin noted:

"Not rare, happens every year at the same time."

Mike J Schmidt added:

"Hi, I was reading about it. Problem is moon will be shining."

More Briefly News on astronomical events

• A photographer amazed thousands of people on social media after sharing a breathtaking time-lapse video of the night sky that created the illusion of the sky moving while the Earth rotated beneath it.
• A viral TikTok video of a rare iridescent "rainbow cloud" over Indonesia left thousands amazed, with many initially believing the breathtaking natural phenomenon was AI-generated.
• A viral video showing a passenger stair truck crashing into a parked FlySafair plane at Cape Town International Airport left South Africans stunned, with many jokingly calling the airline the "taxi of the sky."

Source: Briefly News