Right about now, Iowans are counting down the days to spring and looking forward to the breezy fresh air the season brings. If you’re looking for a way to get out of the house but still avoid crowds, find your favorite spot for stargazing and mark your calendars for the night of April 21-22, 2020. One of the best ways to welcome the season is to plan on watching the Lyrid meteor shower in Iowa! This April stargazing show is always an incredible sight to see. This year, the New Moon will make for some of the darkest skies around.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower in Iowa is expected to peak in the evening of April 21, and just before dawn on the morning of April 22. Plan your trip to a dark site in rural Iowa to spot them.

Flickr / Rich

The Lyrids are known for their impressive bursts of up to 100 meteors per hour, though the show typically averages a little more than a dozen per hour for most of its peak.

Flickr / Rocky Raybell

If you’ve ever wanted to try your hands at astrophotography, now’s the time! The New Moon will make the skies particularly dark.

Flickr / Jason Mrachina

The meteors come from the area around the constellation Lyra, so check out a sky map and find a spot that faces the correct direction and get ready for a starry show.

Flickr / Sugarbear96

Chances are, we’ll have some warm springtime weather which will make the late April shower a perfect opportunity to out of the house and get some fresh air.

Flickr / Mike Lewinski

Iowa’s parks and forests provide a great place to view the sky with little light pollution, and some of our lakes offer low horizons for a front-row view.

Flickr / Mike Lewinski

Grab a sweatshirt and blanket and head out for a late night adventure that’s sure to impress nature lovers and curious minds here in the Hawkeye State.

Flickr / Rich

For help finding the best stargazing spots in Iowa, check out the Dark Site Finder map, here.

Flickr / Rich

Flickr / Rocky Raybell

Flickr / Jason Mrachina

Flickr / Sugarbear96

Flickr / Mike Lewinski

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