Experience the breathtaking spectacle of the Lyrid Meteor Shower, peaking on April 21-22, with optimal viewing conditions and a guide to maximize your stargazing experience.
The second major meteor shower of the year starts today and peaks on the night of April 21–22. To make the most of this spectacular event, follow these steps:
Choosing the Right Time and Location
Watching a meteor shower is one of the most accessible ways to engage with the night sky. You don’t need any special equipment to see a meteor shower—in fact, using devices like binoculars or telescopes actually prevents you from seeing meteors, because they travel too fast to be seen through the lenses of such equipment.
A meteor shower is a celestial event in which numerous small particles from space, called meteors, enter Earth's atmosphere and burn up, producing visible streaks of light.
These particles are typically fragments of comets or asteroids that have broken apart and are traveling through space.
Meteors occur when the Earth passes through a trail of debris left behind by a comet or asteroid.
The most common time for meteor showers is during the night, when the sky is dark enough to see the 'visible streaks of light' .
All you need are your eyes, a dark sky with little to no moonlight, and a location that’s away from excess light, as moonlight and light pollution can wash out shooting stars. The moon appears (rises) and disappears (sets) in the night sky at different times depending on what time zone you are in.
Preparation is Key
Allow your eyes about half an hour to adjust to the darkness. If you need to use a flashlight while outside, use one with red light instead of white to preserve your night vision.
Each meteor shower has its own unique characteristics and viewing requirements. The Lyrids are no exception. Their radiant is the constellation Hercules, which rises well before midnight, so meteors will be visible all night, but you’ll likely see the most just before dawn.
The Lyrid meteor shower is an annual astronomical event that occurs in April.
It is caused by the Earth passing through debris left behind by the Thatchemeraid comet.
The shower's peak activity typically lasts for a few days, with the highest rates of meteors observed on one night.
According to NASA, the Lyrids are known for producing bright fireballs and can be seen in both hemispheres.
Observers often report seeing 10-20 meteors per hour at their peak.
Peak Night Details
The Lyrids’ peak lasts three nights, centered on April 21–22. You can expect to see about 15 to 20 meteors per hour under ideal viewing conditions during the Lyrids’ peak. Under optimal viewing conditions, a quarter of Lyrids shooting stars produce persistent trains—lingering streaks of light that are the result of gases being ionized as the meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere.
The moon will be about 33 percent illuminated during the early morning hours of April 22. If you watch this meteor shower around midnight, you’ll have perfect viewing conditions, because the moon doesn’t rise until approximately 4 am in the eastern US.
Tips for Viewing
If you need help finding a shower’s radiant, you can use an app like Stellarium, which can also tell you when the radiant will be above the horizon in your exact location. If you really want to maximize the number of meteors you’ll see, you should watch the sky when the shower’s radiant reaches its highest point in the sky.
However, you don’t need to wait until the radiant is at its highest to enjoy the show—as long as the radiant is above the horizon, you should be able to see plenty of shooting stars.
- wired.com | How to Watch the Lyrids Meteor Shower
