As the Great North American eclipse comes to an end, skywatchers are looking forward to another exciting event: the Lyrid meteor shower. From April 15th to April 29th, this meteor shower will peak in the late evening of April 21st until dawn on April 22nd. The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers, having been observed for over 2,700 years. The first recorded sighting of the Lyrids dates back to 687 BC when the fireballs were documented by the Chinese.
According to NASA, the Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors. While they may not be as fast or plentiful as the famous Perseids in August, they are still capable of producing up to 100 meteors per hour during peak hours. During this time, viewers can expect between 10-20 meteors per hour with occasional bright flashes known as fireballs.
The Lyrids originate from pieces of space debris from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher which was discovered in 1861. Meteors are generated by leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. When comets pass by the sun, they leave behind a dusty trail and every year Earth passes through this debris resulting in collisions with the atmosphere that create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky.
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