Animation of the 2017 Lyrid meteor shower

When:

Peak Viewing: April 22 and 23

Where:

Summer Triangle in the eastern sky

Target Audience:

General Public

Overview:

This year's second major meteor shower – the Lyrids – will radiate through the Summer Triangle*. It peaks in the morning hours of April 22. Patient observers will be rewarded with the sight of 18 meteors per hour before dawn from a dark sky location. Since the moon will be nearly to its new moon phase, expect excellent moon-less viewing conditions this year. The actual new moon is on April 26.

*The Summer Triangle is made of the three bright stars Deneb in Cygnus (the Swan), Altair in Aquila (the Eagle), and Vega in Lyra (the Lyre, or harp). Find Vega and Lyra high in the eastern sky a few hours after midnight this month.

Watch "What's Up for April 2017" below for more. Also, try this standards-aligned Moon Phases lesson from NASA/JPL Education with students.