Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight. There will be between 15 and 18 shooting stars an hour tonight between 2am and 6.30am on the Costa Del Sol.

Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight

The Lyrid meteor shower is one of the most vibrant and spectacular events to be seen in the night sky. It will be visible from the Costa Del Sol tonight (Wednesday 22nd April), peaking between 2am and 6.30am on Thursday morning.

There will be as many as 18 shooting stars per hour overnight. The moon will be a 27% waxing crescent, meaning light from the moon won’t detract from the spectacle.

Unfortunately the calima in the air may reduce visibility tonight, you should still be able to see the shooting stars though the tail effect could be less dramatic.

Tonight shooting stars will be visible from the Lyrid meteor shower.

Lyrid Meteor Shower

The Lyrids are the oldest recorded meteor shower still visible today. Chinese astronomers first wrote about them in 687 BCE, describing how the “stars fell like rain.” People have been watching this exact same display for over 2,700 years!

The meteors we will see tonight are actually tiny grains of “space dust” left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. This comet takes 415 years to orbit the sun once. It was last seen from Earth in 1861. It won’t return until the year 2278. Even though the comet is long gone, we cross its “trash trail” every April.

The best viewing places will be away from built up areas where there is less light and fewer obstructions. You can view the shooting stars with the naked eye, there is no risk. Look east, towards the constellation Lyra, near the bright Vega star..

Published: 22.04.2026

Written by Dave James