Lyrid Meteor Peak

The Lyrid meteor shower will peak overnight from Monday, April 21, into Tuesday, April 22, with dark skies giving much of the Northern Hemisphere its best spring shot at “shooting stars.” (apnews.com) Meteor showers happen when Earth crosses a stream of dust left by a comet, and the Lyrids come from debris shed by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. The American Meteor Society says the shower is active through April 30 and should peak on April 22. (amsmeteors.org) Under ideal dark-sky conditions, viewers could see about 15 to 20 meteors an hour, and some of them can flare into brighter fireballs. Space.com and the Associated Press both say 2026 should offer unusually good viewing because the moon will not wash out the peak. (space.com) (apnews.com) The best time to watch is after midnight and before dawn, when the shower’s radiant — the point in the sky it appears to stream from — climbs higher. EarthSky says that radiant sits near Lyra and is highest toward dawn, but meteors can streak across any part of the sky. (earthsky.org) No telescope is needed, and skywatching guides say binoculars are not much help for meteors because they narrow your field of view. The better setup is a dark location away from city lights, a wide view of the sky, and about 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust. (livescience.com) (space.com) The Lyrids are one of the oldest recorded meteor showers still observed today. Time and Date says Chinese records describe the shower more than 2,500 years ago, and the parent comet takes about 415 years to circle the sun. (timeanddate.com) The shower is usually modest, but it has a history of surprise bursts. EarthSky notes that most years bring a narrow peak, while some past outbursts have pushed rates far above the usual range for short periods. (earthsky.org) Observers in Arizona may have an extra target while they wait: the Associated Press reports that comet SWAN could also be visible low in the west after sunset if it brightens enough and local skies stay clear. For most viewers, though, the main event arrives in the hours before sunrise on April 22. (apnews.com)