The Lyrid meteor shower is arguably the best meteor shower of springtime, and it peaks this week, making now one of your best probabilities of seeing a shooting star in springtime.
These are our top tips for seeing a Lyrid meteor shower tonight.
For extra data, learn our full information to observing the Lyrid meteor shower.
For weekly stargazing recommendation delivered on to your electronic mail inbox, signal as much as obtain the BBC Sky at Night Magazine e-newsletter.
The Lyrid meteor shower 2026 is lively on 15–25 April, with the best views available on the nights of 21/22 and 22/23 April.
Lyrids are ‘shooting stars’ in the night time sky. They’re truly items of mud and particles from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, burning up as they enter Earth’s ambiance.
During the peak nights, you might theoretically anticipate to see as much as 18 meteors an hour, though this is what you’d see below excellent circumstances, so it is best to actually anticipate to see fewer.
The radiant – the half of the sky from which Lyrids seem to originate – is between the constellations Lyra and Hercules (see our star chart above).
For the 2026 peak, the Moon is a skinny crescent and low in the sky, that means lunar glare should not have an effect on the view an excessive amount of.
A watch from late night into daybreak on the nights of 21/22 and 22/23 April ought to ship the best charges.
But if you wish to wait till the weekend, you will nonetheless have the ability to see Lyrid meteors on Friday and Saturday night time.
To observe the Lyrid meteor shower:
- Get to a darkish location away from synthetic gentle, and away from tall buildings and timber, if attainable
- Wait 20 minutes in darkness for your eyes to adapt – you will see extra
- Avoid taking a look at vivid gentle sources, like a cell phone
- Use a reclining chair to keep away from straining your neck from wanting upwards
- Stare up at an angle about two-thirds up the sky
- Look in any route, however ideally wherever the sky appears darkest
- Observe for intervals of at the very least 30–60 minutes between brief breaks.
- If you see a meteor whose path heads again in direction of the radiant level, you’ve got seen a Lyrid!
Share your Lyrid meteor shower experiences and pictures with us by emailing contactus@skyatnightmagazine.com
