SPACE ODYSSEY

Lyrid Meteor Shower Visible Over the U.S. Overnight Sunday and Monday

Skywatchers will be able to see 18 meteors per hour both Sunday and Monday nights.

Skywatchers will be delighted overnight both April 21-22 and April 22-23 as the Lyrid meteor shower as the earth passes through the wake of the Comet Thatcher, according to Space.com. Around 18 meteors per hour will be visible before the moon rises and before dawn, according to NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke. “Don’t look directly at the radiant,” Cooke told Space.com “Meteors coming from farther away are more likely to have long, striking tails.” He says the naked eye is the best way to view the show. “The Lyrids hit Earth’s atmosphere traveling as fast as 30 miles per second, and can shine about as brightly as the stars in the Big Dipper,” he said.