Lyrid Meteor Shower 2025:2025 is the year of witnessing unexpected natural discoveries and celestial events. Following the ritual, yet another phenomenal space event in the human history would be witnessed today.
The Lyrid Meteor Shower, aka “The April Fireballs” is active now and peaks tonight, April 21 into the early hours of April 22, 2025. This is one of the oldest known meteor showers and has been observed for over 2,700 years.
Lyrid Meteor Shower 2025: Peak Viewing Time
The peak viewing time of the rate of fireballs and other meteors to be witnessed is April 21. This meteor shower has a relatively short peak (not weeks-long periods of meteor viewing as with some showers).
In 2025, at 1:35 UTC on April 21, this last quarter moon will mean that the meteor viewing just before dawn on April 22, might have a 40% illuminated waning crescent moon overhead.
“You will start to see Lyrids after 10 p.m. local time,” Bill Cooke said, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. “This year the light from the crescent Moon will not interfere much with viewing but is still best to view away from the Moon, preferably behind the Moon.”
Best time: Between late evening of April 21 to dawn of April 22. The peak probably will happen about 2:00 PM UTC (7:30 PM IST). But the best meteor viewing, will be in the early morning hours before sunrise.
Meteor rate: Expect 15 to 20 meteors per hour under dark skies, including sporadic bright fireballs.
Moonlight: The waning crescent moon is at 40% illumination and rises before midnight, which may employ unsatisfactory viewing conditions.
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Best Visibility Regions
Northern Hemisphere:
- North America
- Europe
- Asia (including India, China, Japan)
- Northern parts of Africa
Southern Hemisphere:
- Can still observe some meteors, though typically fewer than in the north.
- Countries such as Australia, New Zealand, along with southern regions of Africa and South America, will witness fewer meteors, but some will remain visible if the skies remain clear.
What is the Lyrid Meteor Shower?
The Lyrid Meteor Shower is a spectacular event in the night sky. During this time, numerous meteors, also known as “shooting stars,” travel across the sky. These meteors are tiny fragments of space debris that catch fire when they enter the Earth’s atmosphere. This debris originates from Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1). As this comet moves through space, it leaves a trail of dust and debris behind.
These meteors seem to come from the constellation Lyra, near a bright star called Vega. This is why they are named “Lyrids.” Even though Comet Thatcher returns only once every 415 years, the leftover trail of debris from its orbit causes the Lyrid meteor shower to appear annually.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When will be the Lyrid Meteor Shower visible?
You can watch the Lyrid Meteor Shower beginning today and continuing until the early morning of April 22, 2025.
Can the Lyrid Meteor Shower be seen in India?
Absolutely, in India, the prime time to view the Lyrids is during the nights of April 21-22, from 2:00 AM to 5:30 AM IST. To get the best view, choose a location like a hillside or a rural area, as these places have clear views of the sky. Regions such as Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are particularly good for watching the meteors due to their high elevations and clear skies.
What causes the Lyrid Meteor Shower?
The Lyrid Meteor Shower occurs because of tiny pieces of debris from Comet Thatcher. This comet takes more than 400 years to complete its journey around the Sun. It was first discovered in the year 1861 by A. E. Thatcher.
