You could see up to 20 shooting stars an hour this week—if you know when to look

The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks in the early hours of April 22, with up to 20 meteors per hour visible under dark skies.

[Photo: Jesus/Adobe Stock]

BY María José Gutierrez Chavez

The annual Lyrid meteor shower is back, reaching its peak on Tuesday evening and at predawn on Wednesday.

On average, 10 to 20 meteors are produced per hour during a Lyrid shower. But, in some rare occasions “outbursts” can occur, with up to 100 meteors produced in an hour.

According to the American Meteor Society, Lyrids will be mostly visible in the Northern hemisphere at dawn, although limited availability will also be available to those in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Lyrid shower is among the oldest recorded meteor showers, dating back as far as 2,700 years. The meteor shower is visible when Earth travels through the path of Comet Thatcher, rendering a trail of the comet’s remnants visible to skywatchers.

The comet’s crumbs create a bright streak in the sky as they burn up on Earth’s atmosphere, becoming what most refer to as a shooting star.

“When comets come around the sun, the dust they emit gradually spreads into a dusty trail around their orbits,” the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says. “Every year the Earth passes through these debris trails, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.

How to watch the Lyrid meteor shower

Meteors will appear to be coming from Vega, one of the brightest starts in the Lyra constellation. According to experts, its best to look slightly away from the radiant point to spot some of the meteors with the longest tails.

© Fast Company