Where And When You Can Witness the Lyrids Meteor Shower

Depending on your location, skywatchers could see 15-20 meteors per hour, said the International Meteor Organization.

Lyrid meteors are quick, however not as quick as the Leonids, which are available in November, Cooke informed Space.com.

The spring and summer season meteor shower season begins this month with the Lyrid meteor shower, which runs April 16-25, however peaks Sunday, April 22, however skywatchers might likewise see them on the days prior to and after the peak.

A meteor shower will light up the skies just before dawn over Britain this week, with hundreds of shooting stars which could be visible to the naked eye.

It's one of the oldest recorded meteor showers in human history.

According to EarthSky, your best bet to spot these meteors streaking across the sky will be in the early hours of Sunday morning, weather permitting. A subsiding gibbous moon will be bothersome, shutting out the faintest of the meteors. Those few hours before dawn are the ideal time to find a great spot away from the busy city lights, lie back in the crisp morning air and enjoy the stunning display on the dark, moonless sky.

This year, the peak of the shower is expected to showcase about 18 meteors and hour, provided the sky is dark enough for them to be visible.

The good news is you don't need to locate the shower's radiant point in order to spot the falling Lyrids, states EarthSky. The meteors radiate from the constellation Aquarius, however can be seen from any area in the sky.

The astronomical event is expected to produce as many as 20 shooting stars per hour - as long as the skies remain clear.

"Don't expect to see something as soon as you start looking!"

While the meteors will appear to come from a point in the sky that is home to the small constellation Lyra, it's not important to look in a particular direction of the sky.

Lyrids are pieces of debris from the Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher and have been observed for more than 2,700 years, NASA said, which makes them one of the oldest known showers.

The Lyrids are debris from the comet Thatcher, named after A.E. Thatcher, an astronomer who identified the comet the last time it approached Earth in 1861.

Adding to next weekend's excitement, stargazers will be delighted to know that the Lyrids are not the only meteor shower that will be going on in April. As they burn up in the atmosphere, the meteors leave bright streaks in the sky commonly referred to as "shooting stars".