Meteor Shower
Lyrids Meteor Shower
Peak rates of about 18 meteors per hour under ideal dark skies. Radiant in Hercules.
Your local time
22 Apr 2028, 03:41
Universal time
21 Apr 2028, 22:11 UTC
Countdown
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The Lyrids are produced by debris from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Meteors appear to radiate from a point at RA 271°, Dec 34°, entering the atmosphere at about 49 km/s. The quoted zenithal hourly rate of 18 assumes a radiant overhead and a perfectly dark sky; real observed rates are usually lower. No equipment is needed — lie back, let your eyes dark-adapt for 20 minutes and watch a wide patch of sky.
Observation details
- Visibility
- Visible
- Best viewing time
- 22 Apr 2028, 04:11
- Direction to look
- NE · azimuth 56°
- Altitude at peak
- 79.6°
- Equipment
- Naked Eye
- Zenithal hourly rate
- ~18/hr
- Parent
- Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher
- Entry velocity
- 49 km/s
- Solar longitude at peak
- 32.32°
The object is 80° above your NE horizon in a dark sky.
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Photography & observing tips
- •Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to dark-adapt and avoid white light entirely.
- •Look about 40° away from the radiant rather than straight at it — meteors there leave longer trails.
- •For photography use a fast wide lens at f/2.8 or wider, 15–25 second exposures, and shoot continuously.
Event timeline
Times shown in your local timezone, computed from the event geometry.
Activity ramps up
17 Apr 2028, 03:41 · 16 Apr 2028, 22:11 UTC
Peak
22 Apr 2028, 03:41 · 21 Apr 2028, 22:11 UTC
Activity fades
27 Apr 2028, 03:41 · 26 Apr 2028, 22:11 UTC
Other meteor shower events
The nearest occurrences before and after this one.