Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks on April 21 with Up to 20 Meteors Per Hour Visible

The Lyrid meteor shower peaked on April 21, 2026, offering skywatchers a display of up to 15 to 20 meteors per hour. These bright meteors, visible in the night sky, stem from debris left by the long-period comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Earth passes through this debris field every year around April, creating the annual event.

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a photograph of the Lyrid meteor shower from aboard the International Space Station on April 20, 2026. The image shows a Lyrid meteor streaking through Earth's atmosphere from above. Meir shared the photograph on the same day, highlighting her view from space.

"Have you seen any shooting stars lately? We’re in the midst of the Lyrid Meteor shower, and I was lucky enough to photograph some from the @Space_Station cupola," Meir stated in her post. She noted that the Lyrids are an annual event best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere by looking toward the constellation Lyra.

The photograph captures the meteor below the horizon, emphasizing the thin layer of Earth's atmosphere. The Lyrid meteor shower remains at its peak during the week of April 21, 2026. Prime viewing occurs overnight from April 21 to April 22, 2026, in dark locations away from city lights.

Viewers can see the meteors radiating from around the constellation Lyra. Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, discovered in 1861, produces the Lyrids through its trailing debris. Long-period comets like this one have orbital periods of hundreds of years or more around the sun.

The shower's meteors burn up in Earth's atmosphere, creating the streaks visible from the ground or, in Meir's case, from orbit. The experience aboard the ISS allowed Meir to witness the event from a unique vantage point. Her photograph serves as a visual record of the meteor interacting with the planet's atmosphere.