As late April draws closer, the Lyrid meteor shower will roll around again to give us our annual “spring shower.” This is known as one of the oldest meteor showers said to light the night sky. The best part of the shower this year is that it shall peak the morning of Thursday, April 22, starting a great Earth Day. This meteor shower comes around every year from around April 16 to the 25th. These particles (meteors) shed from the comet named 1861 G1 Thatcher. The first-ever Lyrid meteor shower recorded was back in China in 687 B.C.

This meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Lyra the Harp, near the bright star Vega. Around 25% of the Lyrid meteor shower is quite persistent, it has outbursts of around 100 meteors per hour. An outburst of meteors is not predicted for 2021, but it is not impossible; the last time one happened was around 1982. 

The shower is expected to peak around the predawn hours of Thursday, April 22, and the event will continue into the morning of April 23. The constellation rises in the northeast around 9 to 10 PM local time, and is highest right before dawn. Be sure to distance yourself from harsh city lights, street lamps to be one with nature in the dark and the stars. I recommend an open field with friends or family. This would be a good time to get out and enjoy Earth Day, so be sure to get outside with friends and family to see the Lyrid meteor shower.