How To View The Upcoming Lyrid Meteor Shower In The United States

If you’ve been itching to catch a good meteor shower, this is your chance. For those in the United States, the upcoming Lyrid Meteor shower will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere and is expected to bring quite a show.

According to NASA, the meteor shower will be visible between April 15-29, with its peak dates being April 21-22.

At its peak, the shower is expected to show 18 meteors per hour which will radiate from the constellation Lyra. It’s believed the Lyrids originated from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in the 1800s. Scientists believe the April Lyrids meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,000 years, and now, you could have a chance to see it for yourself!

Lyra rises in the east shortly after sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere and is directly overhead in the early morning hours during the month of April.

NASA shared that “Lyrids don’t tend to leave long, glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through the Earth’s atmosphere, but they can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball.”

To best view the meteor shower, NASA suggests finding a comfortable spot away from city or street lights in the Northern Hemisphere. You should position yourself with a lawn chair or sleeping bag to lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up. Wait around 30 minutes to allow your eyes time to adjust. At that point, you should start seeing meteors.

If you’re wondering where the meteors will appear in the sky, they should radiate near the constellation Lyra, the harp, or the star Vega.

Will you be watching the meteors this April? Let us know!