April Lyrids 2027: the moon at peak

Apr 22, 2027, 16:21 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

96% Poor — a bright moon washes out all but the brightest meteors.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Apr 22, 2027, 16:21 UTC

Illumination

96%

Waning gibbous

Peak rate (ZHR)

~18/hour

Radiant

Lyra

Active period

Apr 14 – Apr 30

Peak night by city

For each city: the local time of the peak, and how much of that night is both astronomically dark and free of moonlight.

City	Peak (local time)	Astronomical darkness	Moon-free darkness	Moonrise	Moonset	Rating
Seoul	Fri, Apr 23 01:21	7.4 h	0.1 h	20:56	06:38 (+1)	Poor
Tokyo	Fri, Apr 23 01:21	7.6 h	0.1 h	19:57	05:52 (+1)	Poor
New York	Thu, Apr 22 12:21	7.0 h	0.7 h	22:07	07:14 (+1)	Poor
Los Angeles	Thu, Apr 22 09:21	7.8 h	None	20:46	06:57 (+1)	Poor
London	Thu, Apr 22 17:21	5.1 h	0.4 h	22:47	06:20 (+1)	Poor
Madrid	Thu, Apr 22 18:21	7.1 h	0.5 h	23:12	08:26 (+1)	Poor
Sydney	Fri, Apr 23 02:21	10.2 h	None	17:51	08:34 (+1)	Poor
São Paulo	Thu, Apr 22 13:21	10.1 h	None	18:50	08:52 (+1)	Poor

Why the moon decides a meteor shower

Meteor rates quoted as ZHR assume a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. Real counts fall off fast with sky brightness, and the moon is the one source of sky brightness that is completely predictable years ahead. A full moon near the peak can cut visible meteors by three quarters even under a cloudless sky. That is why the useful question is not “when is the peak” but “where is the moon at the peak” — which is what this page computes.

Other years

Other meteor showers

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