2021 Lyrid meteor shower will illuminate the night sky
While the Lyrid meteorite range offers only 10 to 15 meteors per hour at its peak, it can still be a spectacular sight to see if you catch a few streaks across the night sky.
LOS ANGELES – Call all stargazers: The first major meteor shower of the year – the Lyrids – will take place in mid-April and is expected to illuminate the evening sky with a dazzling display.
The Lyrids are active every year from about 16 to 25 April with a peak between midnight on 21 April and dawn on 22 April.
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While the Lyrid meteorite range offers only 10 to 15 meteors per hour at its peak, it can still be a spectacular sight to see if you catch a few streaks across the night sky.
How to watch
The shower will peak from April 21 to April 22 (Wednesday to Thursday), which means that viewing is currently the best opportunity to observe the meteors.
However, viewing opportunities will already start on the evening of 16 April.
“We expect the shower to start steaming again late at night on Monday, April 19, 2021, and likely to reach a peak in the early hours of Thursday, April 22,” EarthSky wrote.
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This year is the best time to look between moonrise and dawn.
And while shooting stars can be seen everywhere in the sky, it’s best to look away from city lights and other obstructed views.
Facts About The Lyrids
“The Lyrid meteor shower has the distinction of being one of the oldest known meteor showers. Recordings of this downpour date back approximately 2700 years,” EarthSky wrote.
And according to EarthSky, it is known that the Lyrids have eruptions. In 1982, American observers saw an eruption of nearly 100 Lyrid meteors per hour.
About a quarter of the Lyrid meteors leave continuous trains. A meteor train is an ionized gas route that glows for a few seconds after the meteor passes, EarthSky noted.
Happy stargazing!