Lyrids Meteor Shower Peaking Tuesday: Get Outside and Watch the Fireballs

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If you’re up late (or early) this week, there’s going to be some dazzling activity going on in the sky that you can check out. The Lyrids meteor shower will reach its peak early Tuesday morning, when its barrage of space rocks meets the atmosphere in the eastern sky. 

“You will begin to see Lyrids after 10 p.m. local time,” said Bill Cooke, who leads NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. “This year, the light from the crescent moon will not interfere too much with the viewing, but it is best to look away from the moon, preferably placing it behind you.”

Read more: Here’s a Look Ahead at the Year in Meteor Showers

From Earth, Lyrids meteors tend to look unique, because they usually don’t leave the glowing trails of dust that often come with meteor showers. However, Lyrids meteors are known to create occasional “fireballs,” or bright flashes in the sky. 

You’ll see it better away from the city

City lights make it hard to see the sky’s natural features. So for the best chance to catch the Lyrids, head away from towns and suburbs to a dark sky in the country. Bring a blanket or sleeping bag, so you can comfortably gaze up. 

For the best results, try not to look at your phone screen, since the light from the device makes it harder for your eyes to adjust. All you need to do is just stare up at the sky. TikTok will be there when you get back.

“In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt, and you will begin to see meteors,” Cooke said.

The point where a meteor shower appears to originate from is called the radiant. To find the radiant of the Lyrids, look near the constellation Lyra, which is where the Lyrid meteor shower gets its name. 

The brightest star in the Lyra constellation is Vega. It shines so bright that careful observers might even spot Vega in an area with light pollution. For the meteor shower tonight, look away from the radiant a bit, as the Lyrids will appear “longer and more spectacular from this perspective,” according to NASA. 

Five or six meteors could be visible by 4:30 a.m. CT., Cooke said. However, in the past, the Lyrids meteor shower, which visits Earth every April, has surprised lucky skywatchers with as many as 100 meteors per hour. 

The bits of space rock that create the Lyrids come from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, named for A. E. Thatcher, who discovered it in 1861. The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers. We’ve got a full guide to the entire year in meteor showers.