A spectacular meteor show is coming to the New Jersey sky

One of the most active meteor showers of the year, the Lyrids, will be lighting up the night sky this month.

According to NASA, Lyrid meteors leave behind glowing dust trails that can last for minutes at a time. The Lyrid meteor showers typically show about 5-20 meteors per hour, and will last for about two weeks.

It is one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records of its occurrence dating back more than 2,600 years. The Lyrids are named after the constellation Lyra, from which they appear to radiate.

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The Lyrids are caused by debris left behind by the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which orbits the Sun once every 415 years. When Earth passes through this debris trail, the particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating the streaks of light we see as meteors.

To observe the Lyrid meteor shower, it is best to find a dark location away from city lights and give your eyes time to adjust to the darkness. You don't need any special equipment to see the meteors, just a comfortable place to sit or lie down and a clear view of the sky.

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You will be able to view the meteor shower between April 15 and April 29 . Cosmic experts have noted that the meteor shower will be at its most visible in the late evening on April 22 and early morning April 23.

The Lyra constellation rises between 9 and 10 PM which is when the first meteors will be visible, so if you can’t wait for the more active early morning shows, you can probably see a few then.

Opinions expressed in the post above are those of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Bill Doyle only.

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