You could see up to 20 meteors every hour this week — if you’re up for a challenge

You could see up to 20 meteors every hour in a shower that peaks this week — but it’ll be a challenge.

The Lyrid meteor shower peaks during the night on Friday, April 22, according to Space.com. This year about 18 meteors could be visible each hour.

In some years, up to 100 meteors can be seen each hour in rare outbursts, according to NASA. In a typical year, however, between 10 and 20 meteors can be visible each hour during the Lyrid meteor shower peak.

The shower is known for its “fast and bright meteors,” NASA reported.

“Lyrids frequently leave glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through the Earth’s atmosphere,” NASA said. “These trains can be observable for several seconds.”

This year, a bright moon could make the meteor shower more difficult to see, EarthSky reported.

“Unfortunately in 2022, there’s a bright moon in the sky on the peak morning. Note that it’s a waning moon,” EarthSky reported. “So – on the night after the peak (late evening April 22 to dawn April 23) – there will be less moon, and so you might try that night, too.”

The best chances to see the Lyrid meteor shower is after moonset and before dawn, according to NASA. Skywatchers should find an area away from street lights and be prepared to spend a good bit of time staring at the night sky.

“Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,” NASA said. “After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors.”

This story was originally published April 20, 2022 at 11:58 AM with the headline "You could see up to 20 meteors every hour this week — if you’re up for a challenge."