Lyrid meteor shower 2027
The Lyrids peak on Friday, 23 April 2027, with up to 18 meteors an hour under a dark sky. On the peak night the Moon is 96% lit, and the meteors seem to come from Lyra.
At a glance
- Next peak
- Friday, 23 April 2027
- Meteors an hour
- Up to 18
- Radiant
- Lyra
- Parent
- comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher)
- Moon on the peak night
- 96% lit, waning gibbous Moon
Where to look
The Lyrids seem to come from a point in Lyra, called the radiant. You don't need to look straight at it: meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and the higher the radiant, the more you see. Times are local solar time on the peak night. Your clock can differ by an hour or more, for example in summer time.
| From | Radiant rises | Highest | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40° north | 7:40 pm | 4:00 am | 84° |
| 35° south | 11:50 pm | 4:00 am | 21° |
The Lyrids in the next years
The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year. The Moon figures are for midnight in Nicosia on the peak night.
| Peak | Moon | Moon lit |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, 23 April 2027 | waning gibbous Moon | 96% |
| Saturday, 22 April 2028 | waning crescent Moon | 8% |
| Sunday, 22 April 2029 | waxing gibbous Moon | 61% |
| Monday, 22 April 2030 | waning gibbous Moon | 71% |
| Wednesday, 23 April 2031 | waxing crescent Moon | 1% |
Where the Lyrids come from
The Lyrids are dust from comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere as meteors.
Keep the night of the Lyrids
Put the sky above Nicosia on the night of the 23 April 2027 peak on a star map. You can change the place, the date and the words in the editor.
Questions about the Lyrids
The Lyrids peak on Friday, 23 April 2027. The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year, so the nights just before and after are worth a look too.
Up to about 18 at the peak, under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. From most places you see fewer, especially with the Moon up.
Anywhere in the sky. The meteors seem to come from Lyra, but they cross the whole sky, so look at a wide dark patch away from the Moon.
Yes, but fewer. From 35° south the radiant climbs only to 21°, against 84° from 40° north, so you see fewer meteors.
On the 2027 peak night the Moon is 96% lit. Its bright light hides many of the fainter meteors, so watch while it is low or down.
The Lyrids are dust from comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere.
Other meteor showers
More of the night sky
- Upcoming eclipsesEvery lunar and solar eclipse of the next 10 years.
- Night sky tonightThe Moon, the planets you can see and the time it gets dark in your city.
- Night sky on any dateThe Moon, the planets and the stars above any place, from 1900 to 2100.
- Moon phase on your birthdayThe phase and the shape of the Moon on the day you were born.