Lyrid Meteor Shower April 2017 Dates, Peak Times, How to View: April 22 Will Be Peak
The Lyrid meteor shower is set to produce a picturesque array of shooting stars across the night sky this April. This rare phenomenon treats stargazers to as many as 20 meteors per hour over the course of the week.
Those who do not own expert astronomical equipment do not need to worry about not witnessing the shooting stars, as the Lyrid meteor shower does not call for any equipment to be noticeable. In urban areas where light pollution is not a concern, people can witness the shower with their naked eyes.
While the shower is only typecast as "average," this phenomenon takes place each year. The shower happens every time the Earth passes through dust and other debris left by the comet C/186 G1 Thatcher, making a full orbit of the sun once in every 415 years. As the debris from the comet crash through the upper atmosphere of the Earth, they vaporize and turn into a shower of meteors.
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The Lyrid meteor shower particularly happens in the last week of April each year. This year, it will reach its peak on the night of April 22 and the morning of April 23, but it will be visible from April 16 through April 25. It is clearest in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in European countries. Luckily for those outside the European region, people can still witness the shower as long as they are away from any intrusive light pollution.
Named after the constellation Lyra, the Lyrid meteor shower is one of the oldest known meteor showers. People who want to watch the shower need to be outside at least 30 minutes before it appears so they can get used to the darkness.
To know where exactly the shower will appear, stargazers should look towards the second brightest star in the sky, Vega. The Lyrid meteor shower usually appears somewhere in that area of the sky.
