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The Lyrid meteor shower is visible now and peaking soon. Here’s how to spot it
- Starting April 16 and peaking April 21-22, 2026, the annual Lyrid meteor shower will illuminate the night sky as Earth passes through debris from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.
- Dating back to 687 BCE, this shower occurs when fragments from Comet Thatcher, which orbits the sun every 415 years, burn up in Earth's atmosphere.
- To maximize visibility, find a dark location away from city lights and head outside after midnight when the radiant point near star Vega in Lyra rises high.
- Viewers might witness 10 to 20 meteors per hour, with occasional bright 'fireballs' produced by larger debris, according to the Royal Observatory's guidance for optimal viewing.
- The Eta Aquariid meteor shower begins later this month and peaks in May, while planetary conjunctions involving Saturn, Mercury, and Mars remain visible in the coming days.
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96 Articles
In addition to observing the phenomenon, there are special recommendations for capturing it in photography, a process that depends on both technique and patience.The event occurs when the Earth passes through the remains of comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher).These fragments enter the atmosphere and disintegrate, generating visible flashes.It is one of the oldest meteor rains recorded, with observations dating from more than 2,700 years ago, according to…
Although the most interesting astronomical event of the year will undoubtedly be the August solar eclipse, it will not be the only spectacle in the sky that awaits us this year. The closest one that deserves a mention is the regular annual meteor shower called the Lyrids. It will peak next week, on Thursday night.
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