The Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week

Looking for a bright spot during quarantine? How about a literal bright flash across the night sky?

The Lyrid Meteor Shower is an annual April bit of celestial excitement, and it will peak during the overnight period between Tuesday April 21st and Wednesday April 22nd. There are a few variables to look out for - and right now we have a balance of good and bad ones.

AccuWeather has a map of potential viewing conditions, and the border between Good & Fair seems to cut right through the middle of New Jersey.

The moon will be in a "waning crescent" phase, which means it's almost a New Moon so we won't have to worry about that light affecting the viewing. The rain also seems to be hitting more Tuesday afternoon, so you won't get wet sitting in the backyard. The only tricky part is cloud cover, obviously. Of course the closer you live to a bigger city or a business area, the light pollution will make it harder.

If you can take some time Tuesday night / Wednesday morning, your best bet is to head outside, keep any light source away, take a little time to let your eyes adjust to the darkness, and keep an eye on anything zipping across the sky from the East/Northeast.

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