Don’t sweat it if you ended up missing January’s Quadrantid meteor shower. The upcoming Lyrid meteor shower in April is bound to be a good one, so start making plans to witness it for yourself soon. Famous for its surges of up to 100 meteors per hour, the Lyrids always boast a fantastic meteor watching experience. Keep scrolling to learn all about the upcoming shower’s peak period and how you can see it here in Northern California.
Attention, stargazers! The next major meteor shower of the year is coming up—the Lyrid meteor shower—and you’ll want to start making plans to witness its unique bursts for yourself.
Photos by Lito/Flickr
This year, the Lyrids are expected to be at their peak viewing time on April 22, 2020—right before dawn. This meteor shower takes place every year in April and will actually be visible from about April 15 to 25.
Phillip Chee/Flickr
Typically, you can expect to spot about 10 to 15 meteors per hour while gazing up at this annual shower. However, the Lyrids are known for treating viewers to surges of up to 100 meteors per hour! These surges are impossible to predict and aren’t super common, but it makes watching the shower all the more exciting.
Jeff Sullivan/Flickr
The Lyrids are known to radiate from the bright star Vega in the constellation of Lyra. Keep in mind that you don’t really need to scout out the exact constellation where a shower occurs. They’ll be visible all across the night sky as long as it’s adequately dark and conditions are right.
theilr/Flickr
As always, it’s best to view a meteor shower from an especially dark area. Try to find a campground, park, or other remote location that’s far from city lights for your viewing experience. The light from the moon will naturally decrease visibility, so that’s why it’s preferable to wait until the moonless pre-dawn hours during the peak.
Jeremy Gillard/Flickr
Fascinatingly enough, the Lyrid meteor shower is considered the oldest of the known meteor showers that you can still see today. Records of viewing the Lyrids date as far back as 2,700 years! This tidbit makes witnessing the Lyrids today even more special.
Islam Hassan/Flickr
With all that’s going on in the world, making time to witness events like the annual Lyrid meteor shower can act as relief to the chaos. The gorgeous Lyrids always put on a show, so be sure not to miss it this April.
Islam Hassan/Flickr
Do you have plans to view the upcoming Lyrid meteor shower? The Lyrids are always exciting! Check out some great camping spots that are bound to have good meteor watching conditions with our list of 11 Campgrounds In Northern California Where No Reservation Is Required.
Photos by Lito/Flickr
Phillip Chee/Flickr
Jeff Sullivan/Flickr
theilr/Flickr
Jeremy Gillard/Flickr
Islam Hassan/Flickr
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