The Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week

After a bit of a meteor shower drought, the skies over Maine will light up this week.

The Lyrid meteor shower will light up the night sky this week. The peak falls on Monday April 22 through Tuesday, April 23. Skywatchers will have to contend with the bright, waining gibbous moon. The best skywatching times will be in the evening before the moon fully rises, or around 11 p.m. EarthSky.org suggests checking multiple times throughout the peak nights.

Because of the bright moon, it's even more important to find a dark observation area, away from light pollution.

About 10 to 20 meteors per-hour are expected. While peak times won't feature rapid fire meteors, the ones that do appear will have bright trails. Occasional bright meters may be seen through April 26.