Lyrid meteor shower April 21-22: up to 18 meteors hourly
Technology
The Lyrid meteor shower is lighting up the night sky right now, with its peak coming late April 21 into the early hours of April 22.
You could spot up to 18 fast-moving meteors an hour, some even turning into bright fireballs, thanks to leftover dust from Comet Thatcher.
Face east toward Lyra April 22
For prime viewing, head outside about three hours before sunrise on April 22 and look east toward the constellation Lyra.
Find the bright star Vega (that's where most meteors will seem to come from), but for longer trails, glance about 40 degrees away from it.
Good news: the moon sets early that night, so skies will be darker.
Let your eyes adjust for at least 20 minutes, and if you're using a flashlight, switch to red light so you don't lose your night vision.