How to See a Lyrid Meteor Shower on Monday Night
On Monday night, the Lyrid meteor shower will light up the night sky. In fact, the meteor shower lasts 10 days from April 16 to 26, but it peaks on April 22-23.
Lyrid meteors are parts of Comet Thatcher, which is a comet that orbits the Sun every 415 years. The downpour won’t be as bright as last year’s Persis meteor shower, but it should still be a real show.
A distinctive feature of the shower is the bright footprints that every shooting star leaves. About 20 people are expected every hour on Monday nights, although on some occasions you might see up to 100 over a 60-minute period.
As for when you can catch them, while they run through the night, the best time is around 11:00 pm ET Monday night. You will also have a good chance to see some of them on the evening of the 23rd and 24th.
The best way to get to the show, as with most space-related events, is to try to find a spot away from the city lights where you can get a good unobstructed view of the night sky without lights or anything else in your path.
The moon is expected to be particularly bright on this day, so you’ll also want to take time to watch what happens after it gets dark but before the moon rises. You can check when the moonrise is expected from where you are .
And if you’re having trouble watching the show in person (or just want to know what’s in store for you), here’s a video showing off the shower, along with some tips on how to watch it: