Australian skywatchers will this month get an excellent view of the Eta Aquarid meteor shower, the Southern Cross shines, and Mars is at its brightest.

If you get up early in the morning from May 6-8 you will see one of the most reliable meteor showers in the southern hemisphere.

The Eta Aquarid meteor shower, which is due to the debris from Halley's comet, will peak at 6:00am AEST on May 6.

However, the best rates will be seen on the mornings of May 7 and 8, from 4:00am to 5:00am local time Australia-wide, where people with dark skies should see a meteor around every three minutes.

May sky looking north-east at 5:00am on May 6 showing position of Eta Aquarid meteor shower (indicated by yellow starburst) ( Ian Musgrave/Stellarium )

The show promises to be excellent this year as the Moon will be new on May 7 so there will be no moonlight.

The meteor shower radiant — the apparent point in the sky where the meteors originate from — is in Aquarius, near the star Eta Aquarii (hence the name Eta Aquarids). This is a dim undistinguished star in a dim constellation, and a poor guide to finding the meteors.

The best way to watch the Eta Aquarids is to let your eye rove around the entire patch of the sky above the north-east horizon, between the only two obvious bright stars in the north-east, Altair and Fomalhaut.

Tips for meteor watching Give your eyes at least five minutes to adjust to the dark (especially if you have just come from watching a computer screen)

Give your eyes at least five minutes to adjust to the dark (especially if you have just come from watching a computer screen) Be patient, although you should see an average of a meteor every three or more minutes, a whole stretch of time can go by without a meteor, then several can turn up one after the other

Be patient, although you should see an average of a meteor every three or more minutes, a whole stretch of time can go by without a meteor, then several can turn up one after the other Have something comfortable to sit on, and rug up warmly

Have something comfortable to sit on, and rug up warmly Don't look directly at the radiant site, because the meteors will often start their "burn" some distance from it, but look up or to the side

Don't look directly at the radiant site, because the meteors will often start their "burn" some distance from it, but look up or to the side Don't stare fixedly; let your eye wander over the area

Constellation of the month: the Southern Cross

The Southern Cross is an iconic constellation in Australia.

Indigenous Australians recognised the Southern Cross but saw it in many different ways.

The peoples of Arnhem Land saw the Southern Cross as a stingray, those of Stradbroke Island saw a man called Mirrabooka. The Boorong people of western Victoria saw Bunya, the possum, while the Karuna people of the Adelaide Plains saw Wilto, the Eagle.

Although the Southern Cross never sets (except briefly in the far north) during spring and summer, it is close to the horizon, where it is obscured by buildings, street lights and the other accoutrements of modern living.

But in autumn, the iconic constellation is well above the horizon, making it easier to find.

Sky looking south at 10:00pm on May 15 showing the Southern Cross and the pointers ( Ian Musgrave/Stellarium )

If you look south in the evening, around 10:00pm local time, the Southern Cross is straight up from the horizon in the "12 o'clock position".

The brightest star Acrux or Alpha Crucis, is at the bottom, travelling clockwise around the Cross, the next star is the next brightest, blue-white Mimosa or Beta Crucis.

Next is reddish Gacrux or Gamma Crucis. Then comes the fainter Delta Crucis and finally faint Epsilon Crucis, which may be hard to see under suburban-light-polluted skies.

To the east of the Cross are two obvious bright stars — the pointers — one an orangey colour and the other blue white.

The orangey star is Rigel Kent, Alpha Centauri. This is a triple star system which at almost four-and-a-half light-years away is the closest star system to our solar system.

The blue white star is Hadar, Beta Centauri. Although Hadar is close in the sky to Rigel Kent, it is almost 60 times further from us than Rigel Kent is.

If you have a pair of binoculars, point them at Acrux. This is a triple star, binoculars can't separate out the two bright blue white companions, but the dimmer Alpha Crucis C can be easily seen in binoculars to the south of bright star.

Sweep your binoculars to Mimosa. Next to this star is a beautiful group of stars, visible in even suburban skies. This tiny delight is the Jewel Box cluster.

The Jewel Box star cluster can be seen in the Southern Cross constellation ( ESO )

Under dark skies the red orange and blue stars make this cluster live up to its name.

If you drew an imaginary line from Acrux to Mimosa, and follow this line for around two binocular widths, you will come to what looks like a ball of cotton wool. This is Omega Centauri, the largest and brightest globular cluster in the sky.

Mars at its brightest — May 22

In May three bright planets grace the evening sky: Mars, Saturn and Jupiter.

If you were watching Mars last month, you would have seen it move down the body of the constellation of Scorpion, coming close to its rival the bright red star Antares, then stop and reverse its motion, getting brighter as it did so.

The Red Planet continues to brighten this month as it moves away from Antares and through the head of the Scorpion.

On May 22, Mars is at opposition when it is brightest; six times brighter than Antares and even brighter than Jupiter.

Also on May 22, the Moon Joins Mars, Antares and Saturn to make a battered square in the sky.

In even small telescopes Mars will swell to a visible disk, with the polar cap visible, and the dark and light regions distinguishable, although you will need a serious telescope to see any detail. Mars will remain bright for the remainder of May.

Saturn's rings will be obvious in even small telescopes.

May sky looking east at 10:00pm on May 22, 2016 showing Mars, Antares, Saturn and the Moon. ( Ian Musgrave/Stellarium )

Jupiter, Venus and Mercury

Jupiter is readily visible all evening long as the brightest object above the north-western horizon at the beginning of the month, by the end of the month it will be seen above the western horizon.

Venus is low in the morning twilight at the beginning of the month and cannot be seen after the 6th.

Mercury returns to the morning sky, and is readily visible above the eastern horizon from around the 25th.

The Moon visits all of the visible planets over the month and its location can help you identify the planets.