Meteor shower to lighten up skies on April 22

New Delhi : Keep your eyes on the skies when about 20 meteors streak across the sky every hour on April 22. 

“The Lyrid meteor shower will be the first significant meteor shower in a few months,” AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said.

According to him, the best meteor shower will be visible on Saturday (April 21) night. While some meteors could be seen one day before and after it.

Stargazers would not require a telescope or any other instrument to watch the meteor shower. "The shower will be best viewed after midnight when the radiant is highest in the sky. " Samuhel said.

The meteor shower will originate from east-northeast near the Lyra constellation, which is how the shower earned its name.

It would be great if stargazers head for a place that is less polluted and stays dark in the night.

The best viewing conditions on Saturday night are expected across much of the northeastern and southwestern United States where the sky will primarily be clear.

In case clouds create a hindrance on Saturday, people can watch it on Friday and Sunday night too.

For those who cannot manage time in April, the meteor shower will return in May. On the night of May 6 into May 7, the Eta Aquarid meteor shower will reach its peak as the Earth moves into the path of debris left behind by Halley’s Comet.

Following the Eta Aquarids, the next major meteor shower is the Southern Delta Aquarids, which peaks in late July.