Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight

KSTP
[KSTP]

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning.

KSTP Meteorologist Sam Ryan said the sky will be nearly moonless, which could make for a good showing.

The Lyrid meteor shower typically averages about 15 to 20 meteors per hour during its peak, Ryan said, but on three separate occasions over the past 100 years there have been as many as 100 per hour. While high outbursts like those aren't expected Tuesday night, it still should be a good showing and a welcome distraction from the pandemic.

Ryan offered the following tips for those looking to watch the meteor shower:

  1. Enjoy the night. Oftentimes, people can get distracted and miss some or the view can be obstructed by clouds. If you keep expectations low and enjoy the view, it'll be a fun time.
  2. Find the constellation Lyra, which will pop up on the northeastern horizon at about 10 p.m. and continue to drift higher and higher throughout the night. The meteors will look like they're coming out of the bright star Vega, so you can fix your gaze on that star.
  3. If you can, get as far away from city lights as possible. If you stay around the metro, try to get east of the two downtowns or somewhere where there is less light pollution.
  4. If you get a cool photo, even if it's just you and a friend and you didn't see any shooting stars, send it to KSTP here!