Heads Up: There's A Meteor Shower Happening This Week
Who needs Netflix? This week, you might be able to admire shooting stars right from your window or backyard, thanks to the Lyrid meteor shower. It's the first meteor shower of spring and lasts from April 16 to 25 every year. It’s expected to hit its peak tonight, and you won’t even need binoculars or a special telescope to see it.
Depending on where you live, the prime time to watch the sky is between midnight and 4 a.m to 5 a.m. local time, according to the American Meteor Society. The meteors are super bright and can produce the occasional fireball, which makes them easily visible to the naked eye. The moon’s light can obscure some of the meteors as it did in 2019, but fortunately, the moon is in its new phase and will be invisible tomorrow night leaving the sky ideal for viewing the meteors this year. A typical Lyrid display at its peak shows about 10 meteors per hour, but don’t be surprised if you see less than that. And you never know, you might catch an unusual outburst!
Normally, the best spot for viewing any celestial event is away from cities where there is less light pollution. If you live in a rural area, you'll have a better chance at spotting the meteors. Whether you decide to get up early or stay up late, even the chance to see one shooting star would be worth the sleep loss, if you ask us. You can always catch up on sleep, but it’ll take much longer to see this wonder again.
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