Lyrid meteor shower!
Earth Day will bring one of the best meteor showers of the spring with as many as 20 meteors streaking across the sky every hour.
“The Lyrid meteor shower will be the first significant meteor shower in a few months,” AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said, noting that it will be the best display since January.
The best night to see the Lyrids will be the night of Saturday, April 21, into the early morning of Sunday, April 22, although some meteors will be able to be seen on the night before and the night after the shower’s peak.
When and where to look
Viewing this weekend’s meteor shower will be easy for stargazers of all ages and will not require the use of binoculars or a telescope.
“The shower will be best viewed after midnight when the radiant is highest in the sky. “ Samuhel said.
The radiant point is the area in the sky from which the meteors originate. This weekend’s shower will radiate from east-northeast near the Lyra constellation, which is how the shower earned its name.
However, meteors will be visible streaking across all areas of the sky, not just to the east-northeast.
“Lay back and get as much of the sky in your view as possible, and just wait,” Samuhel said.
Some people spending a night under the stars to view the meteors may even see a few fireballs, or extremely bright meteors that can light up the entire sky for a few seconds.