When and how to see this month’s Lyrid meteor shower

Adithi RamakrishnanSat, April 18, 2026 at 12:31 PM UTC

0

Skygazers are in for a treat this week as the annual Lyrid meteor shower is set to offer a truly spectacular display, significantly enhanced by a dim crescent moon.

Stargazers could witness between 10 and 20 shooting stars per hour streaking across the spring sky when the celestial event reaches its peak from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to Nasa.

While visible globally, the Northern Hemisphere is expected to offer the best viewing opportunities.

The crescent moon will not impede the spectacle, as it is predicted to set before the shower truly begins.

Meteor showers occur when Earth traverses through trails of debris left behind by space rocks. These fragments ignite upon entering the atmosphere, creating the fiery streaks commonly known as shooting stars.

The Lyrids are the remnants of an icy comet named Thatcher.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning (PA Archive)

“We only get to see the actual comet once every 415 years. But we pass through the grains that have been left in its wake every year around the same time,” said Maria Valdes, who studies meteorites and works at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

A handful of random meteors are visible on any given night. At predictable times throughout the year, enough can be seen at once to make a more exciting spectacle.

Advertisement

The Lyrids are one of the oldest recorded meteor showers, with reported sightings dating back over 2,500 years.

To see the Lyrids, go outside after midnight and venture away from tall buildings and city lights.

Royal Museums Greenwich said the best time to look for meteors during the peak will be early Wednesday morning after the Moon has set, from 2am onwards.

It will take at least 15 to 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the nighttime sky and remember to resist looking at your phone.

Bring lawn chairs or a sleeping bag and be patient until the meteors reveal themselves. They'll appear to come from the constellation Lyra in the northeastern sky.

“A meteor looks like a trail of light in the sky. What you tend to detect is the motion against the background,” said astronomer Lisa Will with San Diego City College.

The Lyrids should be visible until 25 April.

The next major shower is soon approaching in early May: the Eta Aquarids, debris from Halley's comet.

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Breaking”