Surges Of Up To 100 Meteors Per Hour Will Light Up The Nevada Skies During The 2020 Lyrid Meteor This April
2020 has been a great year for meteor showers so far, but don’t be feel bad if you haven’t seen one of them yet. The Lyrid meteor shower is coming up in just a few week’s time and it’s always a good one to seek out—when conditions are right, of course. Known for its surges of up to 100 meteors per hour, the Lyrids are definitely a crowd-pleaser. Read on for all of the information you’ll need about viewing the Lyrids from Nevada this year and be sure not to miss it!
The second major meteor shower of the year, the Lyrids are a favorite among many for the shower's sporadic outbursts of meteor-dense surges. It can be unpredictable, but that's what makes viewing it so exciting.
The Lyrids typically occur between April 16 and April 25 every year. It's expected to peak during the pre-dawn hours of April 22, when little to no moonlight will dampen the meteors' brilliance.
This particular meteor shower is known for surges of up to 100 meteors per hour, in comparison to the typical rate of 10 to 15 meteors per hour. It's nearly impossible to predict when these surges occur, but seeing one with your own eyes is always an astonishing experience.
As with all meteor showers, viewers should utilize the landscapes that experience little to no artificial light. Drive as far away from city lights as possible, and let the dark night skies of Nevada do their thing.
The Lyrids are part of a comet called Comet Thatcher that orbits the sun around once every 415 years. They are actually one of the oldest recorded showers that are still visible today, with the first Lyrid observations dating back to 687 BCE.
The radiant for the shower is located near the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra, located in the northeast. However, you don't need to search for the radiant in order to see the Lyrids. They'll be visible all across the night sky. All you have to do is look up and wait.
As always, dress for the weather and prepare to do a lot of waiting during the viewing experience. Meteor watching is a game of patience, but the patience always pays off.
