Lyrids 2026: peak night, meteors per hour and where to watch
The Lyrids are the spring shower of Comet Thatcher, known since antiquity — Chinese records go back 2,700 years. Rates are modest, up to 18 an hour, but bright fireballs and rare outbursts happen. The radiant near Vega climbs high after midnight.
- Peak night
- 22–23 April
- ZHR
- up to 18 an hour
- Moon
- 36% — not in the way
- Active
- 14–30 April
- Radiant
- Lyra · before dawn
- Best time over London
- around 04:21, radiant 71° up
- Under a dark sky
- ≈ 17 meteors an hour
- Speed
- 49 km/s
- Parent
- C/1861 G1 (Thatcher)
How to see a meteor shower, not three meteors
- 1
Get away from light pollution
The Dark Sky layer on the map shows where it is Bortle 4 or darker, with campsites nearby.
- 2
Wait until after midnight
The radiant climbs towards morning and Earth 'flies into' the dust: two to three times more meteors than in the evening.
- 3
Look away from the radiant
40–60° from the radiant meteors are longer. Lie down, keep warm, give your eyes 20 minutes without a phone.
Lyrids FAQ
When do the Lyrids peak in 2026?
On the night of 22–23 April; over London the best time is around 04:21, when the radiant in Lyra is 71° up.
How many meteors will I see?
The shower ZHR is 18; over London under a dark sky about 17 an hour, in a city just a few.
Will the Moon get in the way?
No: the Moon is 36% lit and out of the way at the best hours.
Other meteor showers of 2026
Quadrantids · 3–4 JanuaryEta Aquariids · 5–6 MaySouthern Delta Aquariids · 31 July — 1 AugustAlpha Capricornids · 31 July — 1 AugustPerseids · 12–13 AugustDraconids · 8–9 OctoberOrionids · 21–22 OctoberSouthern Taurids · 5–6 NovemberNorthern Taurids · 12–13 NovemberLeonids · 17–18 NovemberDecember Monocerotids · 8–9 DecemberSigma Hydrids · 8–9 DecemberGeminids · 14–15 DecemberUrsids · 22–23 DecemberMeteor showers 2026 →