Lyrid meteor shower starts next week following solar eclipse: Why you should look up again

Post eclipse mania have you down?

Fret not outer space fans: In less than five days, another phenomenon will light up the night sky.

And this time it can be seen by all across the world.

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The Lyrid meteor shower, one of the oldest known Metroid showers, starts Monday and runs through April 29.

This year the shower will peak in the late evening of April 21 through dawn on April 22.

The first recorded sighting of a Lyrid meteor shower − which will be seen by people across the world next week − dates back to 687 BC by the Chinese, according to NASA.

When is the next total solar eclipse? After 2024, when is it and what is its path? What to know

What are meteoroids? What are meteors? What is a meteorite?

Meteoroids are small rocks that are still in space. As they enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, and create a tail of debris as they disintegrate before hitting the ground. During that point, they are are called meteors.

Those that survive a trip through the atmosphere and hit the Earth’s ground are called a meteorite. Some of the small pieces of an asteroid have been traced as far away ask the moon and Mars.

Lyrids are known for their fast meteors, according to NASA, and can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball.

The milky way and meteors of the April Lyrids annual meteor shower are seen in the night sky over Burg auf Fehmarn on the Baltic Sea island of Fehmarn, northern Germany, on April 20, 2018. This year the shower will peak on April 21-22.

How many Lyrids will we see per hour?

Meteor showers are typically named after constellations, stars, and even asteroids.

“Though not as fast or as plentiful as the famous Perseids in August, Lyrids can surprise watchers with as many as 100 meteors seen per hour,” NASA wrote on its website. ” Sightings of these heavier showers occurred in 1803 (Virginia), 1922 (Greece), 1945 (Japan), and 1982 (U.S.). In general, 10-20 Lyrid meteors can be seen per hour during their peak.”

If the sky is dark, and the moon is absent during this year’s show, experts say, at peak viewers can expect to see 10 to 15 Lyrids each hour.

Where is the best place to see the Lyrid meteor shower?

According to NASA, the best view in the Northern Hemisphere of the shower after moonset and before dawn.

Here are tips from the space agency:

• Pick an area well away from city lights or street lights.
• Bring a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair.
• Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up.
• Be patient. About 30 minutes in the dark your eyes should adapt and you should begin to see meteors.

Contributing: Janet Loehrke and Carlie Procell

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lyrid meteor shower starts next week following solar eclipse: Why you should look up again