Lyrid Meteor Shower Peak: When To Watch For Fireballs Over Napa Valley

NAPA VALLEY, CA — It’s time to start watching for fireballs in the skies over Napa Valley as the Lyrid meteor shower peak approaches this weekend.

The best times to view this shooting star show, known for producing fireballs that blaze across the sky and leave dust trails that last for several seconds, are from evening to dawn Friday through Monday morning, April 21-24.

That all hinges on the weather, of course. The Napa Valley forecast for the next Lyrids peak night— Saturday night into early Sunday morning, April 22-23 — calls for mainly clear skies, then areas of low clouds forming, according to AccuWeather.

If the weather cooperates and the current forecast holds up, viewing conditions will be close to ideal. The moon will barely shine — it will be 6 percent illuminated and will set early in the evenings.

With all meteor showers, find an area that’s far from city lights or street lights. Bring blankets and sleeping bags, and lie flat on your back, so you can take in as much of the sky as possible. Give your eyes a chance to adapt to the light, and you should begin to see meteors.

Meteors are leftover comet particles and bits broken from asteroids, When comets — in the case of the Lyrids, Comet Thatcher — orbit the sun, they leave behind a dusty trail. When Earth passes through the debris trail every year, these bits collide with our atmosphere and disintegrate into fiery, colorful streaks, according to NASA.

Comet Thatcher is a long-period comet whose orbit of the sun takes 415.5 years. To have seen its last closest approach to the sun, you’d have to have been around in 1861.

The Lyrids continue through April 29, intersecting with the Eta Aquariids, which also started on April 5.

• Related: 2023 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons, Full Moons

Sometimes called the Eta Aquariids, the show runs through May 27 this year. The peak occurs May 5-6 — at the same time the full flower moon is 100 percent full.

The Eta Aquariids have a broad peak, and that means skywatchers may see elevated numbers of meteors a few days before and after the peak, though the moonlight will compete, according to EarthSky.org.

At the peak, the Eta Aquariids produce between 10 and 30 meteors an hour, according to NASA. They’re known for their speed, entering Earth’s atmosphere at about 148,000 miles an hour, and also for leaving glowing “trains” — incandescent bits of debris — that last for several seconds to minutes.