Overview
- The shower, already active, reaches its broad peak overnight Tuesday–Wednesday, April 21–22, with another good window the following night.
- A thin waxing crescent sets early, leaving darker skies during the prime pre-dawn hours.
- The best chance to see meteors comes after about 2 a.m. local time from a dark site with an unobstructed view.
- Under ideal conditions, skywatchers can expect roughly 10 to 20 meteors per hour and occasional bright fireballs.
- The Lyrids come from dust shed by Comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher) and appear to radiate near Vega in Lyra, with northern latitudes generally seeing more.