Spring 2027 Meteor Showers: Lyrids (Peak April 22-23) and Eta Aquariids (Peak May 5-6)
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How we wrote this: Dates, rates and speeds come from NASA's Lyrids and Eta Aquariids pages (which cite the American Meteor Society and NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office); Moon phases come from the U.S. Naval Observatory. All linked below and checked October 29, 2026. Meteor counts are averages under dark skies; real nights vary.
After the Quadrantids in January, the meteor calendar goes quiet until spring, when two showers arrive back to back. They're very different: one is an old, steady Northern Hemisphere shower, the other a fast, Southern-favored stream of debris from Halley's Comet. In 2027 the Moon gives one of them a clear advantage.
The 2027 dates at a glance
| Lyrids | Eta Aquariids | |
|---|---|---|
| Active (2027) | April 14 to April 30 | April 19 to May 28 |
| Peak night | April 22-23 | May 5-6 |
| Typical rate under dark skies | About 5 to 6 per hour (NASA's fast-facts figure); about 10 to 20 per hour at peak | About 10 per hour in the Northern Hemisphere; about 50 per hour at peak overall |
| Speed | 30 miles (49 km) per second | 40.7 miles (65.4 km) per second |
| Parent | Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher | Comet 1P/Halley |
| Radiant | Lyra, near the bright star Vega | Aquarius |
| Best from | Northern Hemisphere | Southern Hemisphere (pre-dawn in both) |
| Moon at peak (USNO) | Full Moon April 20, so a bright, nearly full Moon | New Moon May 6, so dark skies |
The Lyrids: an ancient shower with occasional surprises
NASA calls the Lyrids one of the oldest known meteor showers, observed for about 2,700 years; the first recorded sighting was in China in 687 BC. The meteors come from Comet Thatcher, discovered on April 5, 1861.
NASA says to expect about 10 to 20 Lyrids an hour at the peak in a typical year, though the shower has occasionally surprised watchers with up to 100 an hour; NASA lists outbursts in 1803, 1922, 1945 and 1982. Lyrids are fast and bright. They don't usually leave long glowing trails, but they can produce the occasional fireball.
When to look: NASA says the Lyrids are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere in the dark hours after moonset and before dawn.
The 2027 catch: the U.S. Naval Observatory lists the full Moon on April 20, 2027 (22:27 UT). On the April 22-23 peak night the Moon will still be bright, nearly full, and up for much of the night, so the fainter Lyrids will be washed out. That makes the "after moonset" advice especially important this year. Check when the Moon sets at your location with the USNO's rise/set calculator.
Finding the radiant: the meteors appear to come from near Vega, the brightest star in Lyra, which NASA notes is easy to find even from light-polluted places. But NASA also says it's better to look away from the radiant: meteors near it look short, while those farther away appear longer and more spectacular.
The Eta Aquariids: Halley's Comet, twice a year
The Eta Aquariids come from Comet Halley. NASA explains that each time Halley passes through the inner solar system it sheds ice and rock, and Earth crosses that debris twice a year: in May (the Eta Aquariids) and in October (the Orionids). Halley takes about 76 years per orbit, was last seen by casual observers in 1986, and won't return to the inner solar system until 2061. These meteors are as close to the famous comet as most of us will get.
They're fast, about 40.7 miles (65.4 km) per second, and fast meteors can leave glowing trains that last several seconds to minutes.
Hemisphere matters. NASA says the shower is visible from both hemispheres in the pre-dawn hours, but the Southern Hemisphere is preferable, because Aquarius rides higher in the sky there. In the Northern Hemisphere the rate is only about 10 an hour. The consolation for northern viewers: Eta Aquariids are more often seen as "Earthgrazers," long meteors that seem to skim along the horizon.
The 2027 bonus: the USNO lists the new Moon on May 6, 2027 (10:58 UT), right at the peak. No moonlight means the darkest possible pre-dawn skies, the best setup of the two showers this spring.
How to watch either shower
NASA's viewing advice is the same for both:
- Get away from city and street lights.
- Bring a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.
- Lie flat on your back with your feet toward the east and take in as much sky as you can.
- Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adapt to the dark.
- Be patient: the show runs until dawn.
Once the meteors slow down, the same dark site is good for general stargazing; see stargazing with binoculars.
Make it a family science night
- Count and compare. Count meteors for 15 minutes on the Eta Aquariid peak and again a few nights later.
- Trace them back. Note which direction each meteor came from and see how many point back toward the radiant. NASA notes the radiant constellation only helps you tell which shower a meteor belongs to; it isn't the source.
- Connect it to Halley. In October, watch for the Orionids from the same comet.
- Learn the Moon's role. Our Moon phases guide explains why the Moon is up all night near full and absent near new.