April Lyrids 2028: the moon at peak

Apr 21, 2028, 22:11 UTC · Calculated July 26, 2026

8% Excellent — the moon is essentially out of the way.

Peak and moon conditions

Peak (UTC)

Apr 21, 2028, 22:11 UTC

Illumination

Waning crescent

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	Sat, Apr 22 07:11	7.4 h	7.3 h	04:06 (+1)	15:56	Good
Tokyo	Sat, Apr 22 07:11	7.6 h	7.4 h	03:15 (+1)	15:04	Good
New York	Fri, Apr 21 18:11	7.0 h	7.0 h	04:41 (+1)	16:54	Good
Los Angeles	Fri, Apr 21 15:11	7.7 h	7.7 h	04:46 (+1)	16:55	Good
London	Fri, Apr 21 23:11	5.1 h	5.1 h	04:33 (+1)	16:50	Good
Madrid	Sat, Apr 22 00:11	7.1 h	7.1 h	05:56 (+1)	18:01	Good
Sydney	Sat, Apr 22 08:11	10.2 h	8.9 h	03:44 (+1)	15:15	Good
São Paulo	Fri, Apr 21 19:11	10.1 h	9.3 h	04:20 (+1)	15:43	Good

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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