Look for Lyrid Meteor Shower to Peak April 22nd

The Lyrid meteor shower will peak this year on April 22, 2013. This annual meteor shower typically puts on a good show with an average of about 10-20 meteors an hour. Sometimes though it can have “surges” of activity that peak as high as 100 meteors an hour. The Lyrids also tend to produce pretty bright meteors that have long, very visible trails. But you will have to set the alarm clock for the wee hours of the morning to get the best views.



Four hour time-lapse exposure of meteor shower.

Look for the meteors to originate from the Northeastern portion of the sky, in the constellation Lyra. The moon will be waxing gibbous and will set late, so the best time to watch for them will be right before moonset. For our area that will be sometime between 3:30am and 4:30am. If you can't bring yourself to get up that early, you may be able to catch some of the meteors earlier in the night even with the Moon’s light.

The Lyrids will occasionally produce fireballs and they have put on truly incredible shows. During a meteor shower in Richmond, Virginia in 1803, it was reported that there were over 700 meteors falling at the peak of the Lyrids. Huge bursts of activity such as the 1803 shower are called meteor storms.

If you want to get the best seat for the show, here are some basic tips: Get away from the city lights, get a nice, comfortable reclining chair, plenty of layers of warm clothes and blankets, snacks and some hot cocoa or coffee. Some other items include a red-filtered flashlight, star charts and a camera on a tripod. Give your eyes time to adjust to the dark to see the meteors more easily and in higher numbers. Avoid areas were car headlights might pass by and turn down the brightness on your mobile devices or turn them off.