Lyrid Meteor Shower April 2019: Where to locate Earth Day sky spectacle
Monday is doubly special for lovers of the Earth and sky: The Lyrid meteor shower will peak on Earth Day.
HOW TO WATCH THE LYRIDS THIS YEAR
The best time to view the Lyrids is after midnight in the morning hours of Monday, April 22, but Tuesday morning might provide the best viewing conditions in parts of the country, AccuWeather reports. You can also be on the lookout for shower this weekend before the peak.
The shower's radiant point is in between the Lyra and Hercules constellations, but you don't need to locate the radiant to spot the meteors, according to EarthSky.org, because they'll be all across the sky.
At its peak, the shower should reach 15-20 meteors per hour. As with other meteor showers, the best viewing conditions are away from city lights.
MORE ABOUT THE METEOR SHOWER
The debris field that makes up the Lyrids originates from the Comet Thatcher, a long-period comet that orbits the sun once every 415 years.
The shower was first observed in 687 B.C., according to AccuWeather, which makes it one of the oldest meteor showers on record.
