Lyrid Meteor Shower Will Fittingly Light Up the Night Skies on Earth Day 

Posted: April 20, 2023 2:26 pm

Earth Day weekend is the perfect time to celebrate the wonder of the natural universe. Fortunately, stargazers will be in luck with the Lyrid meteor shower on tap for Saturday.

Here is what you can expect with the Lyrids as well as what the forecast has in store for your viewing opportunities.

About the Lyrid Meteor Shower

The first meteor shower in over three months is set to light up the sky on Saturday, April 22. It was January 3 the last time that a meteor shower graced the night skies.

According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), this year’s showing of the Lyrids is likely to be the best one in three years. This will make it a fitting end to the current meteor drought.

The reason for the optimism is because the moon will not mitigate the viewing opportunities. During the years 2021 and 2022, a fuller moon shined so brightly that all but the most brightest meteors were hard to spot.

However, this year’s Lyrids will coincide with a relatively new moon. A new moon just two days prior to the meteor shower will translate to a significantly darker night, making it much easier to see even the faintest of the shooting stars.

You can expect the meteors to start dazzling onlookers at about 10 pm local time on Saturday night. Stargazers can count on about 15 meteors each hour until the early morning hours if positioned in an area with little to no light pollution.

City dwellers will likely only find a few meteors each hour even if watching closely.

It is also important to note that the volume of the meteors will vary each hour. You will have the most luck if you commit to watching for at least two hours. Watching for a shorter amount of time may result in viewing the skies during a valley in the activity.

Because light pollution is one of the biggest hindrances to catching a great show, you will boost the odds of seeing more meteors if you head out to a dark area.

Increase the viewing opportunities further by finding a spot with a wide and unobstructed view of the northeastern portion of the sky. This is the part of the sky that shooting stars typically begin their journey.

How Will Weather Impact Lyrids Viewing?

As always, the weather in your viewing area will also greatly impact how many meteors you are able to find. Most of the Plains and the Southwest are expected to be treated to clear skies during the peak hours of the Lyrids.

However, the Pacific Northwest and the Rocky Mountains may not be as lucky with cloudy conditions in the forecast.

The clouds will also be an issue across much of the Midwest and East Coast. A massive storm system that will stretch from the Gulf Coast and up into New England will hinder the ability of many Americans to see the Lyrids. Some viewers may experience a few breaks in the clouds if they are patient.

The good news is that the Lyrids will linger into Sunday night. This means that those that experience clouds on Saturday may get another shot at seeing the skies light up.

However, the hourly rate of the meteors will likely be half of what is expected for Saturday night.

Looking Ahead to the Next Meteor Showers

You will not have to wait as long for the next meteor shower. The Eta Aquarid meteor shower is next on deck, happening on Friday, May 5 and into Saturday morning.

Unfortunately, this meteor shower will peak at the same time as a full moon. The light that comes from the moon will obscure many of the meteors.

While there are no meteor showers on the astronomical calendar for June, July will bring two smaller events. This pair of minor meteor showers will serve as an appetizer for the main event, the much-anticipated Perseid meteor shower to happen in the middle of August.

The Perseids are distinguished for producing up to 100 meteors each hour. As a bonus, this is the time of year more likely to enjoy warm temperatures and clear skies, making it easier to make a night out of the viewing.

SpaceX Launch Ends in Explosion

In other astronomy news this week, it was a disastrous launch morning for unmanned SpaceX. The Starship rocket took off without incident on Thursday morning off of the coast of Texas, however, it exploded in the sky just minutes after its launch.

Billed as the largest rocket ever engineered, the Starship lifted off at 9:32 am EDT in front of hundreds of people gathered to watch the spectacle on the beach.

However, while the first few minutes of the flight went off without incident, problems became apparent as the rocket spiraled in the sky.

It was about four minutes into the historic flight when the Starship became a ball of fire in what SpaceX engineers are calling a “rapid unscheduled disassembly.”

Despite the fiery ending, SpaceX officials said that they were able to gather important data as they fine tune the launch process.

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