A meteor from the Lyrid meteor shower. The annual meteor shower is considered the first of the year, and starts on April 16, 2021.
Image Credit: Islam Hassan/Flickr/CC BY-SA 2.0
April 13, 2021 - 6:30 AM
The first meteor shower of 2021 is expected to put on a show in Kamloops and the Okanagan beginning later this week.
Considered by EarthSky.org to be the first meteor shower of the year, the Lyrids are expected to be active between April 16 and 25 this year.
The Lyrids will pick up steam going into next week and are expected to peak just before dawn on Thursday, April 22.
Viewers in the Thompson and Okanagan should be able to view 10 to 15 meteors at their peak. Weather conditions into early next week look good for nighttime viewing, with Environment Canada forecasting above seasonal temperatures and clear skies.
A new moon will appear on April 12, which should help viewing conditions.
The Lyrids radiate from the constellation Lyra the Harp in the northeast, but the meteors should appear unexpectedly from all parts of the sky.
The Lyrids are known for occasional outbursts where as many as 100 meteors an hour can be seen, according to EarthSky.org. Up to 25 per cent of Lyrid meteors are also known to leave persistent trains.
The American Meteor Society calls the Lyrid meteor shower a medium strength shower that produces at good rates for three nights centred on the peak night on April 21.
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