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. The annual Lyrid meteor shower is among the most ancient on record, having been observed for the past 2,700 years, according to NASA . This year's Lyrid meteor shower reached peak activity in the early hours of April 22, as Earth passed through the densest seam of comet Thatcher's debris trail. Read on to see a selection of gorgeous images captured from Earth and space on the nights surrounding the Lyrid's crescendo, as shooting stars tore fiery paths through the early spring sky. Gorgeous photos of the 2026 Lyrid meteor shower Astrophotographer Harlan Thomas captured a spectacular early morning natural light show on April 20, as a Lyrid meteor photobombed the northern lights above Alberta, Canada. "The image was taken West of Calgary in an area called Jumping Pound on April 20, 2026 at 4:20 am MDT (1020 GMT)," Thomas told Space.com in an email. …