The Lyrid meteor shower of 2026 is nearing its peak on Tuesday night, when shooting stars and fireballs will light up the April sky in a spectacular event. Here’s when, where, and what time to watch tonight from California for the best visibility to see the Lyrids and the upcoming Eta Aquariids meteor showers.
The annual Lyrid meteor shower is the oldest recorded (since 687 BCE). Still visible today, the Lyrids are active from mid- to late April every year, as the Earth passes through the densest part of Thatcher’s cosmic debris.
A meteor shower is a celestial phenomenon that happens when Earth passes through the path of a comet or the trail of debris left by a comet or asteroid during its orbit around the sun. The debris is called meteoroids.
These meteoroids enter the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds and burn up, streaking the sky with bright moving lights, like a “shooting star” from what appears to be a single point in the sky, called the radiant. They can range in size from dust-like particles to boulder-sized meteors.
Meteor showers are typically named after the constellations where the meteors appear to come from, which, in the case of the Lyrids, they appear to come from the constellation Lyra, the harp. The stronger Eta Aquariids meteors that follow get their name from the constellation Aquarius.
When does the Lyrid meteor shower 2026 peak? Best time to see the Lyrids from California
The 2026 Lyrid meteor shower started activity on April 14 and will run through April 30, peaking on the night of April 21-22, this year. These meteors are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere after the moon sets and before dawn.
The meteor shower is viewable from anywhere in California on the night of April 21 into the early morning of April 22. NASA recommends viewing from a dark location away from city lights. Think: national parks, state parks and mountain areas.
What time is the meteor shower tonight? 2026 Lyrid meteor showers peak
The best time to watch the Lyrids this year will be after midnight on April 21, peaking in the early predawn hours of April 22. On this night, visibility should be optimal, barring poor weather, with minimal lunar interference from the waxing crescent moon, which is 27% illuminated.
The Lyrids are expected to produce good rates of zipping meteor activity for three nights around their peak, and while they usually lack persistent trains, they can produce fireballs.
The Lyrid meteor shower will overlap with the next stronger meteor shower, Aquariids, which starts on April 19 and will last through May 28, with their peak night falling on May 5-6.
How long will it take to find the Lyrid meteor shower?
Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark before you can see the meteors. Avoid bright phone screens to help speed the adjustment process. Patience is key, as the meteor shower will last until dawn.
Dress warmly and bring a blanket, sleeping bag, or lawn chair for comfort. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.
When is the Eta Aquariids meteor shower 2026? Best time to see the Eta Aquarid
The annual Eta Aquarids meteor showers will be active between April 20 through May 21 and peaking on the night of May 5-6. The best place to view these phenomena is in southern desert locations, as they radiate low in the southeastern sky.
The High Desert areas of the Victor Valley offer wide open skies with less coastal cloud cover, and the dry air and low light pollution of the Eastern Sierra foothills will improve visibility. Similarly, rural Central Valley locations can offer decent viewing because they are far from big-city lights.
The Eta Aquarids are best known for their speed, with meteors traveling at 40.7 miles per second as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, leaving glowing “trains” and peaking at 50 meteors per hour.
The Eta Aquariids are caused by debris left by Halley’s comet when Earth passes through its orbit every year. Comet Halley takes about 76 years to orbit the sun, and when it returns to the inner solar system, it sheds a layer of ice and rock into space, which eventually become the Eta Aquariids in May and the Orionids in October, according to NASA. The infamous Comet Halley is not expected to enter the inner solar system again until 2061.
What are the moon phases for April 2026?
Dark sky locations in California
Spectators will have the best luck at dark-sky locations on cloud-free nights, away from city light pollution.
Want to find a dark area near you? DarkSky International is a U.S nonprofit that maintains a list of designated dark sky communities around the world, including 171 in the United States.
That includes these four locations in California:
In Central California, Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and Yosemite National Park are good bets for seeing celestial light shows.
Shasta, Siskiyou, and other North State counties offer excellent places to view the night sky. On the North State coast, Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park is also a prime night sky-watching location.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: What time is the Lyrid meteor shower in California? Here’s how to watch
Reporting by Maria Francis and McKenna Mobley, USA TODAY NETWORK / Palm Springs Desert Sun
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
