Lyrids to light up April night sky

The annual Lyrid meteor shower, named after the constellation Lyra, is expected to peak on April 22, just before dawn.

The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers and have been observed for at least 2,700 years. They are created by debris from the comet Thatcher, which takes about 415 years to orbit around the sun, according to EarthSky.

Also, the Lyrids are also known for producing fireballs.

The Lyrids tend to come from an area to right of the bright star Vega. The higher Vega is in the sky, the more Lyrids are likely to be seen.

EarthSky said it’s more likely that about 10 to 20 meteors per hour will be seen in the pre-dawn hours.

Cox Media Group