Astro-Observer

Meteor showers

September Lyncid Meteor Shower

By Astro-Observer · Last reviewed November 8, 2026

Active
September 10 – October 8
Peak
Around September 12–13
Peak rate (ZHR)
3 (3 to 4)
Radiant
Lynx (7h 32m, +56°)
Speed
60 km/s (fast)
Best seen from
Northern Hemisphere
Best time
After midnight, best before dawn

Next peaks

Expected peak (UTC)Moon at peakMoonlight
September 13, 2027, around 9h Waxing gibbous, 94% lit Bright Moon
September 12, 2028, around 15h Waning crescent, 44% lit Some

IMO treats this shower as a complex of at least two sources, with a second, weaker maximum around October 5, so low activity can continue well into October.

Computed from the shower's peak solar longitude (λ☉ 170°). Real peaks can come a few hours early or late, and you will see meteors on the nights either side. The peak hour may be in daylight where you are; watch the darkest hours of the nearest night.

The September Lyncids are a weak shower from mid-September into early October. Even at the peak you will see only a few meteors an hour, from Lynx, one of the faintest constellations in the northern sky.

Where the meteors come from

No parent body is known, and the IAU Meteor Data Center still keeps the shower on its working list. Several weak far-northern showers are active at this time; IMO thinks at least two sources are mixed together here and asks visual observers to log them all as September Lyncids. The radiant is near the apex of Earth's motion, so the meteoroids arrive fast.

When to watch

Activity runs from September 10 to October 8, with the main peak around September 13 (see the table above for the expected time and Moon phase). From mid-northern latitudes the radiant never sets, but it is very low in the north in the evening and highest in the morning, so watch in the hours before dawn.

How to find the radiant

Lynx has no bright stars, so use its neighbors. The radiant lies roughly halfway between Capella, in Auriga, and Dubhe, the front star of the Big Dipper's bowl, a little closer to Capella. Before dawn Capella is high in the east and the Dipper is climbing in the northeast; face northeast and look halfway up. IMO suggests treating the radiant as an area about 10 degrees wide.

What to expect

IMO gives a ZHR of 3 to 4. With the radiant halfway up before dawn, that means one or two Lyncids an hour from a dark site and often none from the suburbs. The meteors are fast, and the population index of 3.0 means most are faint.

Viewing tips

  • Go to a truly dark site. From the suburbs you are unlikely to see any.
  • Watch in the last two or three hours before dawn.
  • Trace each meteor back: the September Epsilon Perseids are active at the same time.
  • Dress warmly; mid-September nights turn chilly by 4 a.m.

History and notable displays

This is a minor shower mainly followed by experienced observers and video networks. The one notable event was a short burst on September 25, 2023, near 00:30 UT, which may have come from this shower or from the Beta Aurigids, a weak shower with a nearby radiant.

About the numbers. The ZHR (zenithal hourly rate) is how many meteors one observer would see in an hour under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. Real counts are almost always lower: under suburban skies, or with the radiant low, expect a half to a quarter of it, or less.

Sources

Checked November 8, 2026.