- The 2027 Lyrids peak on the night of 22 Apr–23 Apr; active 14 Apr – 30 Apr.
- Up to 18 meteors an hour in a perfect sky; on the peak night in London about 4 from a dark site, about 1 from town.
- The Moon is 96% lit but below the horizon at the best hour: the sky is dark.
- The radiant is in Lyra, highest around 04:20.
- Source: C/1861 G1 (Thatcher); speed 49 km/s.
When to look in 2027
The Lyrids are active from 14 Apr to 30 Apr. The curve shows activity rising and falling, the dots under it how much of the Moon is lit each night.
Night by night
For each night the best hour is computed: the radiant high, the sky dark, the Moon in the way least. A dark site means out of town where the faintest stars show; town means a bright suburban sky.
| Night | ZHR | Moon | Best | Dark site | Town |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fri 16 Apr | 1 | 83 % | 04:20 | <1 | <1 |
| Sat 17 Apr | 2 | 91 % | 04:20 | <1 | <1 |
| Sun 18 Apr | 3 | 96 % | 04:20 | <1 | <1 |
| Mon 19 Apr | 5 | 99 % | 04:20 | 1 | <1 |
| Tue 20 Apr | 8 | 100 % | 04:20 | 2 | 1 |
| Wed 21 Apr | 14 | 98 % | 04:20 | 3 | 2 |
| Thu 22 AprPeakmost meteors | 16 | 96 % | 22:40 | 4 | 1 |
| Fri 23 Apr | 10 | 90 % | 00:00 | 4 | 1 |
| Sat 24 Apr | 6 | 84 % | 01:00 | 3 | <1 |
| Sun 25 Apr | 3 | 76 % | 01:40 | 2 | <1 |
| Mon 26 Apr | 2 | 67 % | 02:20 | 1 | <1 |
| Tue 27 Apr | 1 | 57 % | 02:40 | <1 | <1 |
| Wed 28 Apr | 1 | 48 % | 03:00 | <1 | <1 |
Where to look
The meteors fly out of the radiant in Lyra. In London it rises around 19:10 and is highest while dark, 71°, around 04:20.
You do not have to look at the radiant itself: meteors appear all over the sky, and the longest ones 40–60° away from it. Lie back, take in as much sky as you can and stay with it for 20–30 minutes so your eyes adapt.
Where they come from
The Lyrids are dust from Comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). The comet orbits the Sun about every 415 years: it was last near the Sun in 1861, so it will not return until the 23rd century.
History
Chinese chroniclers recorded the Lyrids in 687 BC, the oldest known description of a meteor shower. They usually give about 18 an hour, but now and then the shower flares up unexpectedly: in 1803 in the United States, and in 1922 and 1982, observers counted up to 90–100 an hour.
What they look like and how to watch
Lyrids are of medium speed (49 km/s) and some leave glowing trains. The radiant in Lyra, near bright Vega, rises late in the evening and is highest before dawn. April nights are already short in the north, which leaves a few dark hours.
How many meteors you will really see
The ZHR (18) is how many meteors an observer would see in an hour in a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. The real count is always lower: the lower the radiant, the more meteors stay below the horizon, and every step of sky brightness hides the faintest ones.
This page uses the International Meteor Organization formula: hourly rate = ZHR × sine of the radiant altitude ÷ r^(6.5 − limiting magnitude). For this shower r = 2.1. A dark site is taken as showing stars to magnitude 6.0, a town to 4.5; moonlight takes off up to 1.8 magnitudes.
How to photograph a meteor
You need a camera with manual mode and a tripod. Wide-angle lens (14–24 mm), aperture wide open (f/1.8–f/2.8), ISO 1600–3200, exposures of 15–25 seconds. Focus manually on a bright star and tape the ring.
Shoot continuously with an intervalometer or remote, frame after frame for an hour or more. Meteors are random, so patience wins: one or two an hour is a normal catch. Aim 40–60° from the radiant, above the glow of the horizon.
Dates in the coming years
| Year | Peak | Moon |
|---|---|---|
| 2028 | Friday · 21 April 2028 | 8 % |
| 2029 | Saturday · 21 April 2029 | 54 % |
| 2030 | Sunday · 21 April 2030 | 76 % |
| 2031 | Tuesday · 22 April 2031 | 1 % |
| 2032 | Wednesday · 21 April 2032 | 86 % |
| 2033 | Thursday · 21 April 2033 | 54 % |
Other meteor showers
Questions people ask
When are the Lyrids in 2027?
The peak is on the night of 22 Apr–23 Apr. The shower is active from 14 Apr to 30 Apr, so meteors show for several nights before and after.
What time is best?
In London on the peak night, around 22:40, when the radiant is 23° up and the Moon interferes least.
How many meteors will I see?
A ZHR of 18 is the perfect-sky figure. In London on the peak night expect about 4 an hour from a dark site and about 1 from town.
Which way should I look?
Meteors come from the direction of Lyra but appear all over the sky. Look 40–60° away from the radiant, at the darkest part of the sky.
What causes the Lyrids?
Dust left by C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). The Earth crosses the stream at the same time every year, and the grains burn up in the atmosphere at 49 km/s.
Will the Moon get in the way?
The Moon is 96% lit but below the horizon at the best hour: the sky is dark.
- International Meteor Organization, Meteor Shower Calendar: activity periods, solar longitudes of the peaks, ZHR, population index.
- IMO Visual Observing Handbook: the hourly rate formula (ZHR, radiant altitude, limiting magnitude).
- Astronomy Engine (Don Cross): positions of the Sun, the Moon and the radiant.
- JPL Small-Body Database: comet and asteroid orbits.
The peak date is computed from the Sun's ecliptic longitude. The activity curve is the IMO model ZHR(λ) = ZHRmax · 10^(−B·|λ − λmax|). For each night the radiant altitude and the Sun and Moon are computed every 20 minutes; the hour with the highest expected count is shown.