How to watch the 2026 Lyrids meteor shower at its peak

In mid-April Astronomy Enthusiasts will be able to enjoy one of the classic celestial spectacles. The meteor shower known as the Lyrids will light up the sky, especially in the Northern Hemisphere, and anyone will be able to see it with the naked eye, weather permitting, if they know where to look.

The lyres began appearing as early as April 14, but their activity peaks between the night of April 21 and the early morning of April 22. According to NASA. During those hours, showers of 15 to 20 meteors per hour will be witnessed under dark skies.

The shower gets its name because meteors appear to emerge from the constellation Lyra. Locating the radiant is simple if you use an astronomical mapping app: just find Vega, the fifth brightest star in the sky, outdone only by Sirius, Canopus, Alpha Centauri A and Arcturus. Once you locate it, look around; The luminous effects of the guitars seem to be projected from that point due to the effect of perspective. Keep in mind that it takes 20 to 30 minutes for the human eye to adapt to the dark.

the moon It will be in the early crescent phase during the peak, so its light will interfere very little. With a dark sky, meteors should stand out easily. The shower is usually visible from 10pm until dawn, although early morning provides the best conditions. It is best to stay away from light pollution and, if possible, observe from a higher ground. A hike into the mountains works well.

Each meteor shower has a different origin. In April, Earth crosses a cloud of fragments left behind by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher) in its orbit around the Sun. This comet, which was discovered in 1861, takes about 415 years to complete its journey. The ice and rock grains they ejected centuries ago enter the atmosphere at high speed and produce the flashes we know as pyres.

After the lyres, the calendar still holds many sights for those who follow the night sky. Eta Aquarius will arrive in May with debris from Halley’s Comet. The Perseids will emerge in August, the Orions will return in October, and the year will end with the Stamenids appearing in November and the Geminids in December. The latter is considered the most intense and reliable shower in the calendar.

This story originally appeared on WIRED in Spanish It was translated from Spanish.