What do the Lyrids look like from space? Astronaut captures view

• Meir shared an image on social media showing a streaking meteor as seen from 250 miles above Earth.
• The Lyrids meteor shower, the oldest known shower, reached its peak activity for 2026 in April.
• Meir is one of seven astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station.

Many skywatchers across the U.S. likely took the time this week to gaze up and catch a sight of streaking meteors as the Lyrids shower reached its most active state of 2026.

But only a few select people had the fortune to witness the celestial show from 250 miles above Earth. And one lucky NASA astronaut even managed to photograph the Lyrids meteor shower from the cupola of the International Space Station.

Jessica Meir, who reached the orbital outpost in February as part of a four-person crew, shared an image on social media of what the Lyrids meteors look like from space.

Here's a look at what Meir captured from the ISS.

NASA astronaut captures photo of Lyrids meteor shower from ISS

NASA astronaut Jessica Meir captured a streaking meteor from the International Space Station as the orbital outpost orbited about 250 miles above Earth.

The photograph, which she shared April 20 on social media, was taken before the annual Lyrids meteor shower peaked in activity.

Meir said she used a three-second exposure, which caused city lights on Earth below to appear as streaks. The meteor itself can be seen whizzing by on the left side of image, under the horizon, Meir said.

"Have you seen any shooting stars lately? We’re in the midst of the Lyrid meteor shower, and I was lucky enough to photograph some," Meir said on social media, including X and Instagram. "Keep your eyes to the sky, and you just might see us on the ISS pass by as well!"

Lyrids meteor shower reaches 2026 peak in April

The oldest known meteor shower, the Lyrids become visible to us here on Earth like clockwork every April as our planet passes through the debris trail left by the comet Thatcher and bright whizzing fireballs appear in our night sky.

The Lyrids meteors already reached their two-night peak in activity for 2026, but the shower should still be visible to stargazers through April 30, according to the American Meteor Society.

Who is Jessica Meir? Astronaut reached space station in February

Jessica Meir, 48, is making her second stint at the International Space Station after arriving Feb. 14 as part of a joint NASA and SpaceX mission known as Crew-12.

Born to Israeli and Swedish immigrants, Meir is a first-generation American raised in Caribou, Maine. A marine biologist, she was selected in 2013 as a NASA astronaut.

During her first spaceflight in 2019, Meir made history with fellow astronaut Christina Koch – who recently flew around the moon on NASA's Artemis II mission – when the two women participated in the first-ever all-female spacewalk.

What astronauts are on the International Space Station?

Meir is one of seven astronauts living and working aboard the International Space Station.

As a crew member of Crew-12, Meir arrived Feb. 14 at the ISS with NASA astronaut Jack Hathaway, the European Space Agency's Sophie Adenot and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev for a nine-month stay.

NASA astronaut Chris Williams and Russians Sergey Mikaev and Sergey Kud-Sverchkov, who arrived at the end of November on a Soyuz MS-28 spacecraft, are also at the orbital laboratory.

Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]