The Lyrid meteor shower happens between April 16-25 yearly and can subsequent peak within the early hours of April 22, 2026.
Lyrid meteor shower
When: 16 to 25 April
Peak: April 22
Comet of origin: C/1861 G1 Thatcher (Comet Thatcher)
Zenithal Hourly Rate (ZHR): 18
(The variety of meteors a single observer would see in an hour of peak exercise with a transparent, darkish sky and the radiant on the zenith).
Fortunately, the moon will not intrude with this 12 months’s show, setting after midnight and leaving darkish skies for peak viewing!
The Lyrids are related to Comet Thatcher, a long-period comet that orbits the solar every 415.5 years. It final reached its closest strategy to the sun in 1861.
Related: Upcoming Meteor showers guide
The common Lyrid shower produces 15 to 20 meteors per hour.
Some years, the Lyrid meteor shower intensifies and may produce up to 100 meteors per hour in what’s known as an “outburst,” however it is tough to predict precisely when that may occur.
Related: The most amazing Lyrid meteor shower photos of all time
Where to see the Lyrids meteor shower
The radiant — the point from which the meteors appear to originate — will be high in the evening sky in the constellation Lyra to the northeast of Vega, one of the brightest stars seen within the night sky this time of 12 months. Don’t look instantly towards the radiant, although, since you would possibly miss the meteors with the longest tails.
The Lyrid meteor shower is of medium brightness, however not as luminous because the well-known Perseid meteor shower in August, which tends to produce extra outstanding trails, Cooke stated.
What causes the Lyrid meteor shower?
Lyrid meteors are little items of Comet Thatcher, a long-period comet that was found by novice astronomer A.E. Thatcher.
Meteor showers happen when the Earth crosses the trail of a comet, colliding with a path of comet crumbs. That’s why they occur across the identical time yearly and seem to originate from particular factors within the sky. As they fritter away in Earth’s atmosphere, the meteors go away vivid streaks within the sky generally referred to as “shooting stars.”
Lyrid meteors are available in quick — although not as quick because the Leonids, which peak in November, Cooke stated. “The Leonids hit us head-on,” Cooke continued “The Lyrids are more like hitting the left front fender.”
How to see the Lyrid meteor shower
The Lyrids are one of many oldest recorded showers, NASA meteor skilled Bill Cooke advised Space.com, with observations going again to 687 B.C. You do not want any sort of particular tools to see the meteors; simply lookup on the darkish sky, be affected person and benefit from the present.
To finest see the Lyrid meteor shower, go to the darkest doable location, lean again, loosen up and permit about half-hour on your eyes to alter to the darkish.
If you need extra recommendation on how to {photograph} the Lyrids, take a look at our how to photograph meteors and meteor showers information and when you want imaging gear, take into account our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Historical Lyrid meteor shower sightings
The Lyrids have been chronicled in many cultures over the past 2,700 years. Chinese astronomers noted prominent displays in 687 B.C. and 15 B.C. Also, in 1136, a report from Korea chronicled the shower with the words “many stars flew from the northeast,” according to Space.com’s skywatching columnist Joe Rao.
In 1803, residents of Richmond, Virginia, went outside late at night after a fire alarm. A report from that time noted that the meteors resembled rockets in the sky.
“Shooting stars. This electrical [sic] phenomenon was observed on Wednesday morning last at Richmond and its vicinity, in a manner that alarmed many, and astonished every person that beheld it. From 1 until 3 in the morning, those starry meteors seemed to fall from every point in the heavens, in such numbers as to resemble a shower of sky rockets,” wrote a journalist at the time, in an account republished on Space Weather.
NASA acknowledged that equally, spectacular shower sightings passed off in 1922 in Greece, 1945 in Japan, and 1982 within the United States.
Editor’s notice: If you snap an awesome photograph Lyrid meteor shower that you simply’d like to share for a doable story or picture gallery, ship images, feedback and your identify and observing location to spacephotos@space.com.
Additional info
Explore the Lyrids in additional element with NASA Science. Read extra concerning the Lyra constellation with this text from In-The-Sky.org. Learn about Comet Thatcher – the supply of the Lyrids – with this NASA Science article.
Bibliography
NASA. C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). NASA. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/comets/c-1861-g1-thatcher/in-depth/
NASA. Lyrids: In depth. NASA. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/asteroids-comets-and-meteors/meteors-and-meteorites/lyrids/in-depth/
Spaceweather.com. The Lyrid Meteor Shower. Retrieved November 9, 2022, from https://www.spaceweather.com/meteors/lyrids/lyrids.html
