Stargazers are set for an exciting week ahead as the Lyrids Meteor Shower will bring as many as 100 meteors per hour in view.
This phenomenon dates back to 2,700 years ago, making it the oldest recorded meteor shower in history. Its first sighting was in 687 BC by the Chinese.
When is the Lyrids Meteor Shower?
According to NASA, the Lyrids will peak between April 21st through the 22nd. However, the entire meteor shower will be active from April 17th through the 26th. Though Lyrids can show up to 100 meteors per hour, it’s much more likely to see only around 10-20 during their peak.
How to view the Lyrids Meteor Shower?
It’s best to view the Lyrids Meteor Shower in the Northern Hemisphere (good thing for us) and after moonset and before dawn—essentially when its very dark outside. Viewers can expect iconically fast and bright meteors, that sometimes leave behind bright flashes in the Earth’s atmosphere, known as fireballs.
The position in the sky where people begin to view the Lyrids is referred to as the radiant. This is near the constellation Lyra, which resembles a harp, and where the meteor shower gets its name from.
How often are the Lyrids Meteor Shower?
The Lyrids Meteor Shower occurs every year around April. You can keep track of all upcoming meteor showers with the American Meteor Society’s meteor shower calendar 2025-2026.
What are meteors and meteor showers?
If you’ve read this far and still are unsure what meteors exactly are, we got you. Meteors are leftover comet particles and pieces from broken asteroids. Asteroids are larger than meteors but smaller than planets.
When Earth passes through debris trails full of these comet particles, some bits collide with our atmosphere to disintegrate and produce what we see as the fiery streaks in the sky.
The Lyrids come from a comet named C/1861 G1 Thatcher. This comet was first discovered 164 years ago by A.E. Thatcher.
Read more about the upcoming meteor shower on NASA.