How To Watch the Lyrid Meteor Shower and the Best Time To View It

Rain isn't the only kind of shower we can expect in April. While the Lyrid meteor shower won't bring May flowers, it'll certainly provide an enthralling nighttime display for astronomy aficionados. Also known as the Lyrids, it's the oldest recorded meteor shower in history, dating back to 687 BC. It's located near the constellations Lyra and Hercules and near Vega, the brightest star in Lyra. The Lyrids are visible every year in April.

Forbes reports that this is the first major shower since January, and that sky enthusiasts should begin looking up tonight when the Lyrids appear. The shower will produce 15 to 20 meteors per hour (although the average is 10), barreling through our atmosphere at about 110,000 miles per hour, and will be active until April 30. However, expect its peak to hit in the early hours of April 22. The best time to view the shower is around 4 to 5 a.m., when Lyra is high in the northeast near Vega.

Thankfully, the Lyrids' dazzling debut falls during International Dark Sky Week, which lasts from April 13 to April 20. This is the week of the new moon, so the moon won't be visible to the naked eye, making it easy for skywatchers to stargaze.

So, what causes the Lyrid meteor shower? It's the result of debris from the long-period Comet C/1861 G1, which has a 422-year orbit and will return in 2283. The comet was discovered by A.E. Thatcher on April 5, 1861.

You don't need any special equipment to view the Lyrid meteor shower. If you reside in an area with light pollution, be sure to drive to the darkest location possible. Then, allow your eyes to adjust to the dark (about 30 minutes), look up, and enjoy the celestial show.