Lyrid meteor peak

The Lyrid meteor shower is peaking overnight into Tuesday, April 22, with the best viewing in the United States coming in the dark hours before dawn. (space.com) Meteor showers happen when Earth crosses a stream of dust left by a comet, and those grains burn up high in the atmosphere as brief streaks of light. The Lyrids come from debris shed by Comet Thatcher, formally known as C/1861 G1 Thatcher. (space.com) The 2026 Lyrids have been active since mid-April and are expected to continue through April 25 or April 29, depending on the forecast used. Space.com lists the active window as April 16 to 25, while EarthSky gives April 15 to 29. (space.com) (earthsky.org) Forecasts for the peak are close but not identical. EarthSky places the predicted peak at 19:15 Coordinated Universal Time on April 22, while Space.com cites a peak around 20:00 Greenwich Mean Time, which falls in daylight hours for much of the U.S. (earthsky.org) (space.com) That timing is why skywatching guides point Americans to the pre-dawn hours of April 22 instead of the exact forecast minute. The shower’s radiant — the point in the sky it appears to come from — climbs higher after midnight and is highest near dawn. (earthsky.org) Under dark skies, viewers may see about 10 to 15 Lyrids per hour, and some forecasts say the rate can reach roughly 20 per hour near peak. Space.com also notes that the shower can produce occasional bright meteors called fireballs. (earthsky.org) (space.com) Moonlight is less of a problem this year than in some past peaks. EarthSky says the waxing crescent moon sets after midnight, leaving the peak viewing window before dawn relatively dark and moonless. (earthsky.org) The radiant sits near the border of Lyra and Hercules, close to the bright star Vega, but viewers do not need to stare at that spot. Skywatching guides say meteors often look longer and more dramatic a little away from the radiant. (space.com) (earthsky.org) The practical advice is simple: get away from city lights, give your eyes time to adjust, and look up during the hours before sunrise. If the clouds cooperate, the oldest known recorded meteor shower should still have a few streaks left before this year’s peak passes. (space.com) (earthsky.org)