The Lyrids are an April meteor shower associated with comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Their radiant is in the northern part of the sky near Lyra, but shower meteors can cross a much wider area.
Plan around the radiant and Moon
Check the annual calendar and the current source prediction rather than treating one night as fixed forever. Northern observers can have a higher radiant before dawn. Southern observers should check whether it rises high enough during darkness to make a session worthwhile.
Choose a broad, lawful view away from direct lighting. Look across the sky rather than fixing your eyes on the radiant. Moonlight, cloud and the available dark interval can matter more to your count than a small change in the predicted peak date.
If sources give adjacent peak nights, plan a flexible window and read the underlying year's prediction. Record the time zone with your start, end and breaks. A patient session with an honest count is more useful than comparing a short cloudy watch to an ideal hourly headline.
Year-specific planning dates
Sources and review
Reviewed October 22, 2026 by PiSpace Sky editorial. Date-sensitive details can change.