Surges Of Up To 100 Meteors Per Hour Will Light Up The Washington Skies During The 2020 Lyrid Meteor Shower This April

Fellow Washingtonians, we've got some good news that will brighten your day (or more accurately, your night). In mid-April, the annual Lyrid Meteor Shower will return, and it will be visible from all over North America... including the Evergreen State. Here's what to expect.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower is actually the earliest meteor shower ever recorded.

It dates all the way back to 687 B.C. (that we know of).

The Lyrids last from April 16 - April 25, with peak viewing hours expected in the dark hours before dawn on April 22.

That's when there won't be much of a moon to interfere. Visibility depends largely on what phase the moon is in.

Typically, you can expect to see roughly 10-15 meteors per hour on any given night of the shower.

However, occasionally, you may see surges of up to 100 meteors per hour. Those surges are not easy to predict, but they do happen.

A constellation known as Lyra is where the meteors appear to originate.

Lyra consists of a relatively small group of stars, but during this 10-day period, it makes its presence known.

You'll be able to see this meteor shower all over North America, but of course, some places will have more visibility than others.

As far as Washington goes, it's best to go somewhere secluded where you won't have street lights and city lights in your way.

Get outside this April and check out this amazing meteor shower for yourself.

The clouds will have to cooperate, but the moon cycle indicates visibility will be high.

Have you ever experienced the Lyrid Meteor Shower? Getting some fresh air and doing some stargazing is healthy in any season -- plus, it's a cure for cabin fever.