Every April, Earth barrels through a trail of ancient debris left behind by a comet most of us will never live to see, and the night sky puts on a show for it. The Lyrids peak Tuesday night, April 21, into Wednesday morning, and this year the universe actually cooperated for once—no moon washing out the sky, no major interference. Just darkness, which is exactly what you want.
Active from April 16 through 25, the shower will reach its peak in the early hours of Wednesday morning (April 22). On a good night, expect somewhere between five and 20 meteors per hour. The real bonus this year is the moon—the waxing crescent sets before the radiant climbs high enough to matter, so the sky stays dark right when you need it to. No squinting through moonwash. Just a clean, dark sky doing what it’s supposed to do.
The source of all this is Comet Thatcher, a chunk of ice and rock that swings through the inner solar system roughly once every 415 years. “We only get to see the actual comet once every 415 years,” said Maria Valdes, who studies meteorites at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. “But we pass through the grains that have been left in its wake every year around the same time.”
Those leftover grains hit the atmosphere, burn up quickly, and produce the streaks people have been misidentifying as stars and making wishes on since well before anyone knew what they actually were. The Lyrids are one of the oldest recorded celestial displays, with observations stretching back over 2,700 years.
The Lyrid Meteor Shower Is Peaking Now, and the Timing Is Actually Perfect
The Lyrids are also known to produce fireballs—exceptionally bright meteors that outshine the planet Venus.“A meteor looks like a trail of light in the sky,” said astronomer Lisa Will of San Diego City College. “What you tend to detect is the motion against the background.” Straightforward enough. But actually seeing it requires a little patience and a willingness to put your phone down.
Go outside after midnight, get away from city lights and tall buildings, and give your eyes at least 15 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Bring a lawn chair or a sleeping bag. Look toward the constellation Lyra in the northeastern sky. The meteors will appear to blaze away from a radiant point close to the bright star Vega. And resist the urge to check your phone—the blue light resets your night vision every single time.
The next major shower, the Eta Aquarids, peaks May 5-6, though an 84% full moon will severely cut into viewing conditions that night. Enjoy the dark sky while you have it.
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