As spring arrives, skywatchers await the spectacle of the Lyrid meteor shower, the season’s inaugural display of shooting stars. Though past Lyrid showers have presented sky lovers with as many as 100 meteors per hour, this year’s activity promises to be milder. According to Thaddeus LaCoursiere, the planetarium program coordinator at the Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota, observers can anticipate seeing about six meteors per hour at the peak time on Tuesday morning.
The crescent moon will be waning at 40% fullness, offering a reasonably good chance of visibility as long as the skies are clear and dark. Viewers can enjoy this celestial event until April 26, making this an exciting time for enthusiasts of meteor showers.
Meteor showers occur as Earth travels in its orbit around the sun, intersecting paths with leftover debris from comets and occasionally asteroids. The Lyrids are a product of debris from comet Thatcher. These swift-moving rocks ignite upon entering Earth’s atmosphere, creating spectacular fiery displays that are commonly referred to as “shooting stars.” Fortunately, no special apparatus is required to view these annual celestial displays—just be sure to escape the bright city lights.
Watching a meteor shower is best done in the early hours before dawn when the moon is lower in the sky, minimizing interference from its light. Dark, cloud-free nights are ideal, particularly when the moon is at its smallest waning phase, reducing light pollution. Additionally, avoiding the distraction of electronic devices helps your eyes better adjust to the darkness and enhances the likelihood of spotting meteors streaking across the sky.
Looking ahead, enthusiasts can mark their calendars for the next significant meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids, which is expected to peak in early May.