Here's how to catch the most spectacular views of the Lyrid meteor shower when it peaks tonight

P. Claire Dodson
Updated
The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks after midnight tonight, which means you could see up to 20 meteors in the sky per hour. Here's how to watch the oldest known meteor shower for the best views of shooting stars.

Another big science-y space moment is upon us. No, it’s not a total (or even partial) solar eclipse, and you won’t need special glasses to view this phenomenon. We’re talking about one of our galaxy’s oldest known meteor showers: The Lyrid meteor shower, which appears in the sky annually to give us some pretty spectacular stargazing opportunities.

The shower has been happening since April 16th, but is expected to peak tonight, Saturday, April 21st, with as many as 20 meteors streaking through the sky every hour. You’ll have several more opportunities to see a Lyrid meteor before the event comes to an end April 25th. But tonight is definitely the best time to give it a shot.

To get the best views, you’ll have to escape the city for less-congested pastures. It’s also best to wait until after midnight to prevent excess light pollution from obstructing your field of vision, according to Uproxx. You want it to be as dark as possible when you lie on your back and prepare to stargaze. NASA also recommends lying on your back with your feet pointing East. Meanwhile, give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness before you start seeing meteors.

If you’re combining your 420 and Earth Day celebrations, or you just want some food for thought while you gaze upon the endlessness of the universe, here’s some fun history about the Lyrid meteor shower.

The Lyrid meteors are actually debris coming off of the comet Thatcher.

What’s up for April in the night sky? The Lyrid Meteor Shower, which peaks on April 22! Mid-April, start looking for the Lyrid meteors, which are active from April 14 – 30. In the early morning sky, a patient observer will see up to a dozen or more meteors per hour. Observers in the United States should see good meteor rates on the nights before and after the April 22 peak. A bright first quarter Moon plays havoc with sky conditions, but Lyra will be high overhead after the Moon sets at midnight, so that’s the best time to look for Lyrids! Credit: NASA #nasa #space #lyrids #lyridmeteor #meteor #shootingstar #meteorshower #lyra #april #whatsup #nightsky #astronomy #solarsystem #observe #moon #stars #peak

A post shared by NASA (@nasa) on Apr 15, 2018 at 8:58am PDT

The Lyrid meteor shower has been happening at least since 687 BC, and possibly even before that.

One of the most visible meteor showers is just around the corner! That’s right. The Lyrid meteor shower is here, with the peak viewing days on the early morning of April 22. * * * * #visitarizona #explorearizona #instagramaz #playlikeyoumeanit #lakehavasucity #lakehavasu #arizona #havasu #havasumagic #meteorshower #Lyrid

A post shared by Lake Havasu City CVB (@visitlakehavasucity) on Apr 19, 2018 at 9:00am PDT

That means you’re looking at much the same view as people have around this time in the Northern Hemisphere for centuries. As True Detective‘s Rust Cohle might put it: “Time is a flat circle, we’re all repeating the past, etc.” Trippy, huh?

Will you be watching the Lyrid meteor shower tonight?