One of the oldest-known meteor showers is set to kick off this week and deliver a night sky show through the end of this month.
The Lyrid meteor shower is visible from roughly April 16 to April 26. It will peak in the pre-dawn hours of April 22 this month.
“The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors,” NASA said on its website detailing this meteor shower. “Though not as fast or as plentiful as the famous Perseids in August, Lyrids can surprise watchers with as many as 100 meteors seen per hour.”
That 100-per-hour count happens during years when they’re especially plentiful. In an average year, Lyrid meteors can number anywhere from 10 to 20 “shooting stars” an hour during their peak, the space agency said.
If you see a bright flash during the Lyrids, you’ve witnessed what sky watchers call a “fireball.”
While most cameras were looking up at the 2012 peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, astronaut Don Pettit aboard the International Space Station trained his video camera on Earth below. Footage from that night is now revealing breathtaking images of Earth at night with meteors burning up in the atmosphere.Photo courtesy of NASA/JSC/D. Pettit
The source of the Lyrid meteor shower is space debris burning up in our atmosphere, leftover from the Comet Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. But the records on the meteor shower go back much further. The first recorded sighting? It was in 687 BC in China.
Plan your viewing time: Stepping out into your backyard for a minute or two won’t give you the best results. It takes about a half-hour for your eyes to acclimate to the night sky for optimum viewing. So find a comfy spot, wear a hat and coat, and be patient.
NASA offers these tips: “Find an area well away from city lights or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”