Lyrid Meteor Shower: Know when and where to watch the celestial event
In a treat to sky gazers, meteor shower is back in America with the Lyrid meteor shower which is projected to illustrate the skies from April 17-26 and it is reported to peak on the night of April 21 through April 22, according to American Meteor Society.
During the dark sky, onlookers can view up to 18 meteors per hour when Lyrid shower is at its peak but the waning crescent moon this time around is poised to play spoilsport as it'll make it tough to spot the meteor shower.
According to NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office lead, Dr. Bill Cooke, 'Most meteors you see (during a Lyrid shower) are not brilliant fireballs, they are faint little streaks and the more moonlight there is, it tends to wash out those faint little streaks,' reported CNN.
A meteor streaks the sky over the shipwreck of cargo ship Dimitrios on Valtaki beach, near the town of Gytheio, Greece. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis
When and Where to watch Lyrid meteor shower
Even after the hindrance of waning crescent moon, the Lyrid meteor shower can be viewed in the Northern Hemisphere in consonant with the local weather conditions between 10 pm local time on April 21 and 4:30 am April 22.
Sky gazers can expect around five streaking lights per hour appearing via the Lyrid meteor shower. For an optimal viewing experience of the Lyrid meteor shower, Dr. Bill Cooke recommends lying down in an open environment with almost zero light pollution.
April is bringing shooting stars 🌠💫
The Lyrid meteor shower is set to light up the night! Peaking on April 22–23, the Lyrids offer a celestial spectacle with up to 20 meteors per hour. pic.twitter.com/zvmFQ645Rt
— NASA Langley Research Center (@NASA_Langley) April 2, 2025
According to a NASA blogpost, the Lyrid meteor shower will be visible after about 10:30pm and the best viewing time is reported to be 5am. The waning crescent moon, which is poised to play spoilsport, will rise around 3:30am but NASA has said that since the moon would be only 27% full, it shouldn't interfere too much with meteor viewing.
What to expect during meteor shower
A meteor is formed when a comet leaves a trail of ice and dust while it is moving at thousands of miles per hour. The meteors hit the atmosphere of Earth and thereafter they slow down, which transmits heat and that is the flash visible in the skies.
The Lyrid's parent comet remains obscure, and it is named C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). It is a long period comet and its orbit is of around 422 years, which is expected to return in 2283. It was discovered by A E Thatcher.
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