The Lyrid Meteors showering upon us. (b)

The Lyrids will be busy tonight.  This is the second major meteor shower of the year.  As with all meteor showers, the Lyrids happens when the Earth passes through the path of a comet.  The Lyrids are from the comet, Thatcher, which passed Earth in 1861.

The Lyrids are most active from April 16^th through April 26^th each year.  Observers will see 10-20 meteors per hour and will be visible from midnight until dawn.  The best viewing will be 30 minutes before moonset until sunrise.  In April, moonset in Wisconsin is around 4am and sunrise is 6am.  The full moon on the 25^th will make the night sky bright, the meteors will still be visible but will be diminished in brightness.

How to watch the meteor shower?  Try to get as far away from city lights as possible.  Find a place with as little viewing restriction in the sky as possible.  Prepare for the meteor shower as you would for viewing fireworks on the 4^th of July.  Lay on the ground looking directly into the sky, and allow your field of vision to enjoy all of the stars in the sky.  The meteors will radiate from Lyra, which is found in the northeastern sky.  It is very close to Vega, the second brightest star in the Northern Celestial Hemisphere.  The peak of the shower and visible meteors are April 22 and April 23 in Wisconsin.  The Lyrids will be a memorable shower. In years past, hey have been known to have spurts of activity with the up to 100 meteors in an hour!