Lyrid meteor shower peaks this weekend: Best times, place to see shooting stars

People hoping to catch a glimpse of a shooting star should turn their gaze to the sky this weekend.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower will be active April 21-22, peaking in the early morning hours of Sunday. As many as 20 Lyrid meteors per hour could be visible in the sky above the Northern Hemisphere during the weekend, according to NASA.

The Lyrids, which take their name from the constellation Lyra where they appear to emanate, are visible every April. The meteors are the result of the Earth passing through the trail of dust and debris left behind by the comet Thatcher.

The best time for seeing the shooting starts will be around midnight local time. As with any meteor shower, NASA recommends moving to dark places and away from sources of light to catch the best glimpse of the shooting stars.

"The Lyrids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the dark hours (after moonset and before dawn)," NASA said. "Find an area well away from city or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient--the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse."

The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors, though the shower does not typically produce as stellar a show as the Perseids in August. The annual shower has been known to produce as many as 100 meteors per hours with the heavier showers occurring in 1803, 1945 and 1982.

The Lyrids are one of the oldest-known meteor showers, having been observed for 2,700 years. The first recorded sighting of a Lyrid meteor shower goes back to 687 BC by the Chinese, according to NASA.

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