One of the oldest annual showers on record, the Lyrids put on a show each spring. Here’s what to know about how to see it and where it came from.
Clear skies over the Baltic Sea allow for a clear view of the Lyrid meteor shower, which occurs every year in April as Earth encounters the debris trail left behind by Comet Thatcher. Records of the Lyrids stretch back more than 2,600 years.. This celestial event is known to deliver bright and impressively fast streaks across Northern Hemisphere skies, with surprise bursts of extra activity on rare occasions.
But what’s the best way to watch it—and what causes this display in the first place? Here’s what you need to know.While meteors can appear in any part of the sky, most will seem to radiate from the shower's namesake constellation Lyra, the harp. Look for Lyra near the brilliant star Vega, tucked away in the northeastern sky.
The shower begins above the northeast horizon in the early evenings, and observers should be able to see meteors all night long. In Southern Hemisphere skies, Lyra will be at or below the horizon, so viewers there will see just a sprinkling of meteors.
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