The dazzling Lyrid Meteor Shower starts tomorrow. Here’s how to watch it

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NASA expects to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour during the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower that takes place tomorrow. The Lyrid meteor shower is the first of spring and will peak in the early morning hours of tomorrow, according to NASA, as reported by BusinessInsider. The Lyrid Meteor Shower takes place every year in the last days of April as Earth passes the dusty path behind Comet C / 1861 G1 Thatcher, also known as Comet Thatcher.As for the best way to view this shower, NASA says in its blog post about the shower that it is “ best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the dark hours (after moonset and before sunrise), ” and that those interested should have a area ‘far away from city or street lighting. “Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair,” the blog post reads. “Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the air as possible. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adjust and you will start seeing meteors. Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you’ll have plenty of time to get a glimpse. “

NASA says Lyrids “often leave glowing dust trains behind as they skim through Earth’s atmosphere” and that these trains remain visible for a few seconds.

Beautiful pictures of the Earth from space

According to BusinessInsider, viewers should wait for the “crescent moon to set,” which will occur around 4am EST in the US, as this will make it easier to see the meteors and their tails in the sky. The meteors are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere, according to NASA, but BusinessInsider reports that those who need a reference point where to look should look for the “harp-like constellation Lyra, from which the Lyrids often seem to emerge.”

This comet was discovered in 1861, according to NASA, and the comet’s pieces of space debris interacting with Earth’s atmosphere are responsible for the Lyrid meteor shower taking place tomorrow. This rainstorm is one of the oldest known meteor showers, according to NASA, as they have been observed for 2,700 years, with the first recorded sighting in China in 687 BC.

“The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors, although not as fast or as numerous as the famous Perseids in August,” the NASA blog post reads. Lyrids can surprise viewers with up to 100 meteors per hour. Observations of these heavier showers were made in 1803 (Virginia), 1922 (Greece), 1945 (Japan) and 1982 (United States). Generally 10 to 20 Lyrid meteors can be observed hourly during their gaze. “For more science from IGN, check out this story of how NASA named some new constellations after Hulk, Thor’s hammer, Godzilla, Doctor Who, and more. Read this story about possible signs of life discovered on Venus since 1978, then check out this story about how the next possible Earth could be a planet with two suns like Tatooine.

Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer, guide maker and science guru for IGN. You can follow him Twitter @LeBlancWes.

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