Look Up

Paris, France

Lyrids 2027 from Paris

The Lyrids peak on the night of Thursday, April 22. From Paris the best time to watch is around 11:19 PM, when the radiant is low in the northeast. Under a dark sky that means up to about 6 meteors an hour. From inside the city you will see far fewer.

The night at a glance

Gets dark
10:09 PM
Radiant rises
Already up at dusk
Best time
11:19 PM
Light again
5:28 AM
Moon
95% lit, rises around 11:29 PM

Times are local to Paris, worked out for the city centre. Dark means the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.

Where to look

Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. They streak away from the radiant, which sits low in the northeast at its best. Face that way but keep your gaze wide. Give your eyes twenty minutes to adjust and keep your phone in your pocket. The darker your spot, the more you will see.

About the Lyrids

The Lyrids are active from mid to late April. The meteors are debris from comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1) and hit the atmosphere at about 49 km per second. At the peak, a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead would show about 18 an hour. Real counts are lower.

See tonight's sky above Paris

The Lyrids from nearby