Meteor shower with a dozen meteors an hour peaks this week. How to see Lyrids

The Lyrids meteor shower typically has about a dozen meteors an hour, but it could surprise skywatchers with significantly more, NASA said.

The meteor shower started April 16 and will peak Thursday, according to EarthSky. Meteors could be visible until April 30, Space.com reported.

In its peak, 10 to 20 meteors per hour is typical. But on rare occasions the shower is known to have up to 100 in one hour, NASA said on its website.

The frequency of the meteors isn’t the only thing skywatchers have to look forward to from the Lyrids.

“Lyrids frequently leave glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through the Earth’s atmosphere,” NASA said. “These trains can be observable for several seconds.”

The best time to see the shower is “between midnight and dawn” anywhere on the planet, EarthSky reported. Moonlight could make it harder to see the Lyrids, Space.com reported.

“In 2021, the moon will be new on April 12,” EarthSky reported. “That means that – during the week or so the Lyrids will be at their best – your best viewing will likely come between moonset and dawn.”

This story was originally published April 15, 2021 at 11:23 AM.