NorCal Lyrid Meteor Shower 2022: How To See Fireballs, Dust Trails

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — An out-of-this-world event, the Lyrid meteor shower, is currently at its peak. The best time to see this often-fireball-rich star show in Northern California is early in the morning. You may see them in the late evenings as well — weather permitting.

The first of the spring meteor showers is an average sky show producing about 15 or 20 shooting stars an hour, but it historically has produced bright Lyrid fireballs that blaze across the sky and leave dust trails that last for several seconds, according to NASA.

The moon will be a problem, with more than 60 percent of it still illuminated via the recent full pink moon, and that may wash out fainter meteors. But because the Lyrids are known to be exceptionally bright, patient skywatchers should be rewarded.

In some years, the Lyrids dance across the sky at a rate of about 100 an hour in what’s called an “outburst,” but NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com he expects about 18 shooting stars an hour this year.

Outbursts are difficult to predict, he said. They occur about every 30 years, but that’s only an average, Cooke said. “People say there is some periodicity there,” he told Space.com, explaining “the data doesn’t support that” because actual numbers between outburst events vary.

The Lyrid meteor showers are produced by dust particles left behind by the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher — a “long period comet” whose orbit around the sun takes 415.5 years, according to NASA. The Lyrid meteor shower has been observed for some 2,700 years and is one of the oldest-known meteor showers.

• Related: 2022 Guide To Meteor Showers, Supermoons, Eclipses

To see the Lyrids, head out to a dark sky location after moonset in Northern California. Be sure to pack along a sleeping bag and blanket (and perhaps a reclining lawn chair) and lie flat on your back with your feet facing east, NASA said. Patience pays. Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and prepare to stick around until dawn.

As with all meteor showers, unless it’s already dark where you live, it’s best to get out in the country away from city lights to get the best views. In California, think about a trip to the following areas in Northern California.

• Big Basin Redwoods State Park, Santa Cruz County
• Lick Observatory, Santa Clara County
• Point Reyes National Seashore, Marin County
• Strawberry Hill, San Francisco
• Alcatraz Island, San Francisco

The next chance to see meteors will be in early May with the monthlong Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which started Tuesday and runs through May 28 and peaks May 4-5. The meteor shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, where it produces about 60 meteors an hour, but it's a decent show in the Northern Hemisphere, too, and viewers in this part of the world can expect to see about half that many. Comet Haley is the parent of this meteor shower, which has been observed since ancient times.

The Eta Aquariid meteors are swift and produce a high percentage of persistent dust trails, but few fireballs, according to NASA.