Lyrid Meteor Shower | 22nd-23rd April

The Lyrid Meteor Shower is known for its fast and bright meteors, with occasional fireballs.

Meteor showers are named after the constellation where they appear to come from. In the case of the Lyrids, the meteors come from the direction of the Lyra constellation. If you have a handy smartphone app that helps you identify objects in the night sky, search for Lyra, and you’ll be looking in the right location.

Lyra is below the horizon for most of the night, and low on the horizon for the remainder. This means the meteors are also very low on the horizon, making them difficult to see. If you’re in the north of WA, you have a far better chance of seeing meteors from the Lyrids. The Lyrids are forecast to produce up to 18 meteors per hour with rare surges.

Is the Lyrid meteor shower worth getting out of bed for?

It might be! More so if you’re viewing from northern Western Australia, where the radiant point will appear higher in the sky! Even though there are only an estimated 18 meteors per hour, there’s no moon in the night sky at the peak of this year’s Lyrids which will make viewing great away from bright city lights.

When and where do I look for the Lyrids meteors?

The Lyrid Meteor Shower is active from 16th to 25th April. At the Lyrids’ peak from 2am on 23rd April, you could see about 18 meteors/hour. Look low to the north eastern and northern horizon. 

Use the above image as a guide. Astronomical images provided by SkySafari, a Simulation Curriculum Company, All rights reserved www.simulationcurriculum.com.

What is a meteor shower?

A meteor (commonly called a “shooting star”) is an unexpected, brief streak of light you might see in the night sky. The streak of light is caused by space debris, which can be as tiny as a single grain of sand and travelling at speeds of up to 75km per second when it hits our atmosphere.

When this debris burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, it causes a brief, bright streak of light in the sky, and it’s usually only visible for a few seconds.

A meteor shower is a celestial spectacle where large numbers of meteors, or shooting stars, streak across the night sky. These dazzling events occur when Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet or other object that has entered our Solar System and is orbiting around the Sun.

Meteor showers are visible to the naked eye and offer you a mesmerising display of bright streaks of light. We think they add a touch of cosmic wonder to the night.

Where is the best place for me to see the Lyrid meteor shower?

The best place to see any meteor shower is away from bright city lights, somewhere that the night sky is dark with no moonlight. Bright moonlight and light pollution make it harder to see fainter meteors, however you may still be able to see the brighter ones.

We recommend that you travel out to a dark sky location at one of WA’s Astrotourism Towns. If you’re an astrophotographer, these give you an excellent opportunity to capture meteors over some of WA’s iconic landscapes.

Do I need a telescope or binoculars to see the Lyrids meteors?

You don’t need either a telescope or binoculars to see a meteor shower. Meteor showers make for a great time to gather with friends under the stars. Simply roll out your favourite picnic rug, pack the drinks and snacks, and start counting how many “shooting stars” you see!

The predicted hourly rate of meteors you’ll see presumes you’re viewing them in a perfectly dark sky and that the shower is directly overhead, so your numbers might vary. But keep your fingers crossed for a spectacular show!

Meteor showers are named after the constellation where the “shooting stars” appear to be coming from. If you have a handy smartphone app that helps you identify objects in the night sky, search for the constellation, and you’ll be looking in the right direction.

Something interesting

For the Boorong people, the constellation of Lyra is Neilloan is the Malleefowl. Image credit: Janet Matthews, Museum Victoria

Observed for at least 2,600 years, the Lyrids are the longest observed meteor shower. For the Boorong clan of north-western Victoria, the constellation of Lyra was the ancestral Malleefowl, Neilloan, and she taught people when to look for Malleefowl eggs.

The Lyrid meteor shower coincides with the time the Malleefowl start to build their elaborate nests, with the streaks of the meteor shower itself resembling a bird kicking up sand as she builds a nest.

You might like to report a fireball!

Be a citizen scientist and report meteor sightings. If you happen to see a very bright meteor (often referred to as a “fireball”), the fireballs team based at WA’s Curtin University would love to know. Report your fireball sighting with the International Meteor Organization.

The International Meteor Organization is a great place to discover more about all things meteors, check out their Meteor Shower Calendar, and you can even become a member.