Spectacular photos of the 2026 Lyrid meteor shower captured from Earth and space

The Lyrid meteor shower put on a spectacular show last night as Earth plunged through the debris stream cast off by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), triggering a peak of activity that saw shooting stars blaze a path away from the blue-white star Vega in the constellation Lyra. Shooting stars appear when fragments of comets and asteroids cross paths with Earth , ending their existence in a fiery outburst as they are swiftly overwhelmed by the extreme heat and pressure of atmospheric entry. …