Lyrid Meteor Shower – April 2025

Quick Facts

Zenithal Hourly Rate: 18
Peak Date: April 22
Source: C/1861 G1 (Thatcher)
Speed: 29 miles (47km) per second
2025 Rating: ★★★★☆

*Lyrid above the Milky Way near Greybull, Wyoming in 2020*

After a drought of more than 3.5 months, the second meteor shower of the year is finally here. Nights have gotten shorter, but not too short. Compared to winter, the nights have lost much of their chill, making it easier to stay outside late. And the galactic core of the Milky Way has returned to the early morning skies at last. In terms of numbers the Lyrids are not the best. But meteor rates will still be 4x higher than a typical night. And this event provides a good excuse to spend more time out under the stars, which is never a bad thing.

Source

Historically the Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers. The Chinese have records of it going all the way back to 687 BC. The source of this sky show was discovered by A.E. Thatcher in April of 1861. C/1861 G1 Thatcher is a long period comet with an orbit of 422 years. It is not expected to return until the year 2283. 1861 was a great year for comets because a month later, the great comet C/1861 J1 also appeared, bright enough to cast shadows on the ground. But even though they were close together, the 2 comets have different orbits. Every year, Earth encounters the trail of debris left by C/1861 G1 Thatcher. The tiny particles burn up in the atmosphere as Lyrid meteors.

*Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher might have looked something liked this*

Numbers and Speed

Lyrids are one of the lesser meteor showers, with a typical zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of 15-20 most years. Meteors may be seen anytime from April 15th to April 30th. But the majority of meteors will fall between April 21st and 23rd. With more than 2700 years of observations, rare outbursts have been known to occur. But they seem to be less common in the last century. The meteor velocity of 29 miles (47km) per second is a medium to fast speed. Fireballs are sometimes spotted, but they rarely leave persistent trains. Because of the radiant’s location high in the northern sky, it is best seen from the northern hemisphere. Meteor rates will be less in southern latitudes.

*Lyrid meteor beside the aurora in Wyoming – 2017*

Radiant

As the name suggest, the radiant of this meteor shower is found in the constellation of Lyra. It is close to Hercules, not far from the bright star Vega. But like with all meteor showers, knowing the radiant’s location is not super important, because falling stars may appear anywhere in the sky. Those appearing closer to the radiant will actually have shorter trails due to foreshortening. In middle-northern latitudes, the radiant will rise in the northeastern sky as darkness arrives in the evening. It will be at its highest point in the eastern sky before dawn. This is also when meteor rates will be at their highest.

This Year

2025 should be a very good year for the Lyrid meteor shower. The light from the 36% waning crescent moon will not interfere much at all. It does not rise until nearly 4AM when the night is almost over anyway. According to the American Meteor Society, the peak is expected at 13 UT on April 22nd. Check a time zone calculator to convert to your local time.

Viewing Tips

Get to the darkest skies you can. Light pollution will drown out all but the brightest of meteors. Use the light pollution map or dark site list to find a viewing spot near you.
Let your eyes adjust to the darkness. The longer you look the more stars and fainter meteors you’ll see. Any bright lights or phone screens will hinder your view. A dim red flashlight or headlamp is best for getting around.
Turn off your headlights as soon as you park your car. Be considerate if other stargazers are around so you don’t ruin their view.
A beach chair or camping chair that reclines will be the most comfortable. Otherwise laying flat on the ground on a blanket is fine. You want to take in as much sky as possible so you don’t miss anything.
Bring warm clothes. You start to feel cold fast when you’re not moving.
Hot chocolate or coffee is helpful for staying awake.
Be patient. Meteors are often spaced unevenly. Sometimes 10 minutes may pass without seeing any and then suddenly there are 10 in a single minute.
Head over to How to Photograph a Meteor Shower for more photography tips