Annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks overnight Monday

It’s spring skywatching at its best: The annual Lyrid meteor shower is back, offering people across the Northern Hemisphere a chance to catch shooting stars in the night sky.

It’s spring skywatching at its best: The annual Lyrid meteor shower is back, offering people across the Northern Hemisphere a chance to catch shooting stars in the night sky.

The meteor shower began on April 16, but will reach its peak Monday night and into the early-morning hours of Tuesday. Weather permitting, skywatchers could see up to 15 shooting stars per hour during that period, as long as they’re in a dark location.

The Lyrids are typically one of the year’s most reliable meteor showers, and their timing coincides with more temperate spring temperatures across the Northern Hemisphere, making them a popular celestial show.

This year’s peak occurs with a waning crescent moon that will be about 27% full, according to NASA, which means the shooting stars are less likely to be washed out by bright moonlight.

In order to best enjoy the peak, NASA recommends watching outside from Monday night anytime after 10 p.m. local time until dawn the next morning, with a sweet spot at roughly 5 a.m. local time on Tuesday. But anytime late in the evening on Monday and before the moon rises overnight at around 3:30 a.m. local time should offer good chances to see meteors streaking across the night sky.