The Lyrids meteor shower is set to peak. Here's when to look up

Julia Gomez, USA TODAY

Tue, April 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC

4 min read

The Lyrids meteor shower is set to peak. Here's when to look up

The Lyrids meteor shower is underway and will soon peak.

The meteor shower is known to produce around 10 to 20 meteors, or shooting stars, for the three nights around its peak, when stargazers will be able to see the shower's highest rate of meteors. While the shower can produce fireballs, which look like bright flashes of light ,according to NASA , meteors seen during the Lyrids usually lack tails like the ones commonly associated with shooting stars.

It is composed of debris left behind by Comet Thatcher, NASA stated.

Here's what to know about the meteor shower.

The Artemis II mission launches April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft hitched a ride to orbit atop NASA's giant 322-foot Space Launch System rocket. Launching atop 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA ever launched, about 17% more powerful than the iconic Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo era.

Artemis II Commander Reid Wiseman of NASA took this stunning photograph of Earth from the Orion spacecraft's window on April 2. The image is reminiscent of the iconic "blue marble" image captured during the Apollo 17 mission in 1972.

NASA astronaut Christina Koch, a mission specialist on Artemis II, gazes out the windows of the Orion vehicle back at Earth as she and the crew head toward the moon. Koch, who already holds several NASA records from her first spaceflight in 2019 to the International Space Station, became the first woman to fly on a lunar mission.

Before going to sleep April 5, the Artemis II crew snapped one more photo of the moon, as it drew close in the window of the Orion spacecraft. Shortly after, the astronauts entered the lunar sphere of influence, where the pull of the moon's gravity became stronger than Earth's.

The crew of Artemis II captured a breathtaking image of a celestial event known as an "Earthset," in which the Earth dropped below the lunar horizon. The image is reminiscent of the iconic "Earthrise" photo that NASA astronaut Bill Anders captured in 1968 during the Apollo 8 mission that showed our planet rising on the lunar horizon.

Of the impact craters, ancient lava flows and other lunar features the Artemis II astronauts observed during an April 6 flyby, a crater known as the Orientale basin was perhaps the most prominent. Spanning nearly 600 miles, the 3.8 billion year old crater (seen in the upper center of this photo) had never been seen with the naked eye prior to the mission.

The Orion spacecraft the Artemis II astronauts were aboard is captured in the same frame as both the moon and Earth in this photo captured about four hours into the historic April 6 flyby.

This image shows the moon fully eclipsing the sun from the vantage of the Orion spacecraft, not unlike what millions of people witnessed in April 2024 from Earth. From the crew’s perspective, the moon appeared large enough to completely block the sun, creating nearly 54 minutes of totality and revealing our star's elusive outermost layer, known as the corona.

The crew members of Artemis II embrace following the historic lunar flyby April 6, during which the astronauts flew farther from Earth than anyone in human history while seeing sights of the moon's far side never seen in person.

The Artemis II crew captured this breathtaking photo of our galaxy, the Milky Way. Spanning more than 100,000 light-years, Earth is located along one of the galaxy’s spiral arms, about halfway from the center.

10 days, 10 photos. Here are the most stunning images from Artemis II

1 of 10

The Artemis II mission launches April 1 from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The four-person crew aboard the Orion spacecraft hitched a ride to orbit atop NASA's giant 322-foot Space Launch System rocket. Launching atop 8.8 million pounds of thrust, the SLS is the most powerful rocket NASA ever launched, about 17% more powerful than the iconic Saturn V rocket used during the Apollo era.

More space news: Eta Aquariids meteor shower begins soon. Will you be able to see it?

When is the Lyrids meteor shower set to peak?

The Lyrids meteor shower began on Tuesday, April 14, and will peak on the night of Tuesday, April 21, according to the American Meteor Society .

Will the moon affect the Lyrids meteor shower?

The moon will be 27% full during the peak, according to the American Meteor Society.

While it isn't a new moon, the moon's light should not severely impact spectators' view of the meteor shower the way the full moon would.

Where can you see the Lyrids meteor shower?

The shower is best seen in the Northern Hemisphere.

While it is possible to see some meteors in the Southern Hemisphere, it can prove to be a difficult task, according to EarthSky . Stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere will see very few meteors from the Lyrids meteor shower.

Instead, stargazers in the Southern Hemisphere should look out for the Eta Aquariids meteor shower, which can produce around 50 meteors per hour in the southern hemisphere during its peak. The Eta Aquariids meteor shower will peak on the night of May 5.

Meteors will also travel north, below the horizon in the Southern Hemisphere, giving stargazers a smaller window to watch the meteor shower.

While it is difficult, stargazers down south may still see a few meteors from the Lyrids.

When is the best time to see the Lyrids meteor shower?

The best time to see the meteor shower is during its peak, in the dark hours after the moon sets and before the sun rises, according to NASA.

On Tuesday, April 21, the peak is expected to occur after 10 p.m. local time. Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere should look towards the east to experience the April Lyrids.

To see more meteors, go somewhere away from a city and avoid light pollution as much as possible.

Do you need any equipment to see the Lyrids meteor shower?

No, onlookers will not need any equipment to see the meteor shower. In fact, you don't even need a telescope or binoculars, according to NASA .

A telescope can limit your view of the night sky. You want to ensure you have a clear view of the entire night sky, especially once multiple showers begin to occur simultaneously, and a falling star can come from any direction.

If you do decide to try to watch the Lyrids meteor shower, make sure you do the following:

Check the weather and cloud coverage in your area to make sure conditions are optimal to view the meteor shower
Find a dark location away from light pollution
Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark
Avoid looking at phones or bright lights

To be as comfortable as possible, dress appropriately for the weather, use bug spray, and bring a blanket, a sleeping bag or a reclining chair to lie on.

2026 meteor show schedule

The Lyrids meteor shower is one of the first of the year, and will be followed by the Eta Aquariids shortly after it begins. Popular showers, like the Perseids, Alpha Capricornids and Southern Delta Aquariids, are just a few months away.

The following meteor showers are set to begin in 2026, according to the American Meteor Society :

Lyrids - April 14 to April 30, 2026; peaks the night of April 21
Eta Aquariids - April 19 to May 28; peaks on the night of May 5
Southern delta Aquariids - July 12 to Aug. 23; peaks on the night of July 30
Alpha Capricornids - July 3 to Aug. 15; peaks on the night of July 30
Perseids - July 17 to Aug. 24; peaks on the night of Aug. 12
Orionids - Oct. 2 to Nov. 7; peaks on the night of Oct. 21
Southern Taurids - Sept. 20 to Nov. 20; peaks on the night of Nov. 4
Northern Taurids - Oct. 20 to Dec. 10; peaks on the night of Nov. 11
Leonids - Nov. 6 to Nov. 30; peaks on the night of Nov. 16
Geminids - December 4, 2026 to Dec. 17; peaks on the night of Dec. 13
Ursids - Dec. 17 to Dec. 26; peaks on the night of Dec. 21
Quadrantids - Dec. 28, 2026 to Jan. 12, 2027; peaks on the night of Jan. 3, 2027

Julia Gomez is a Trending reporter for USA TODAY and covers popular toys, space phenomena, scientific studies, natural disasters, holidays, and trending news. Connect with her on LinkedIn , X , Instagram , and TikTok : @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The Lyrids meteor shower peak is coming. What to know