NORTHERN HEMISPHERE — The Lyrids meteor shower will reach its peak between the night of April 21 and the early morning of April 22, 2026, producing 15 to 20 meteors per hour under dark skies across the Northern Hemisphere. The shower is visible to the naked eye, weather permitting.

The Lyrids began appearing as early as April 14 and will remain active until April 30, with the annual window running from April 15 to April 29. Under ideal conditions, the shower produces 10 to 15 meteors per hour, though outbursts of up to 100 meteors per hour have been recorded.

The radiant of the shower appears to emerge from the constellation Lyra, near Vega, the fifth brightest star in the night sky. Lyra is shaped like a joined rhombus and triangle and is named for a harp-like lyre played by the mythological musician Orpheus. Meteors may be visible throughout the night but are most frequent when the radiant is highest in the sky.

The Lyrids are usually visible from 10 p.m. to dawn, with early morning offering the best viewing conditions. During the 2026 peak, the moon will be in a waxing crescent phase, according to the American Meteor Society, resulting in minimal lunar light even before midnight. Observers are advised to avoid light pollution and, where possible, to watch from high ground. NASA recommends that skygazers allow their eyes 30 minutes to adapt to darkness before observing, as the human eye takes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust.

The shower occurs each April when Earth crosses the debris cloud left by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher) in its orbit around the sun. Grains of ice and rock released by the comet centuries ago enter Earth's atmosphere at high speed and produce the flashes seen as shooting stars. The comet was discovered on April 5, 1861, takes about 415 years to complete its orbit, and will not return to the inner solar system for roughly another 250 years.

The Lyrids have been observed for around 2,700 years, with the first recorded observations made by Chinese observers in 687 B.C. Astronauts aboard the International Space Station can also see the shower.