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A shooting star from the Lyrid meteor shower is observed on April 19, 2021 from the Mingantu Observatory of the National Astronomical Observatories in Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China. (Photo by Zhang Gang/VCG via Getty Images) |
A flurry of shooting stars will flicker in the night sky as the weekend comes to an end and Earth Day kicks off, offering the best chance to see a meteor shower since 2023.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Lyrid meteor shower is expected to peak Sunday night through Monday morning at 15 to 20 meteors per hour. The event will end a meteor shower drought that began more than three months ago after the Quadrantids briefly peaked during a cold and, for many areas, cloudy night in early January.
The celestial show begins not long after nightfall, but like most meteor showers, the Lyrids will be best seen after midnight, when the shower’s radiant point rises high in the northeastern sky.
This year’s edition of Lyrids will have a competition that could outshine all but the brightest meteors.
Fast-moving meteors may look like a blip in the sky compared to the nearly full moon that will glow most of Sunday night. The moonlight will wash out many of the fainter meteors, reducing the number of shooting stars spectators will see.
For the best chance of spotting meteors, experts recommend focusing on dark parts of the sky where the moon is out of view. Looking at the moon for a few seconds can affect your night vision and make it more difficult to see the meteors.
•Click here for the stargazing forecast for your region
Two nights later, on April 23, a full moon rises and is known as the Pink Moon. It is named after phlox, one of the first wildflowers to bloom in spring.
After the Lyrids at the end of April, the next meteor shower will be the Eta Aquarids, peaking on the weekend of May 4 to 5.
This is one of the best meteor showers of the year for the Southern Hemisphere, seeing around 50 meteors per hour. For areas in the Northern Hemisphere, hourly rates are likely to be around 30 per hour, slightly higher than in the Lyrid Islands.
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