Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks Wednesday Night, Thursday Morning

The Lyrid meteor shower occurs from April 16 to 25, typically. Its peak time is Wednesday, April 22, into the morning hours of Thursday, April 23.

“The Lyrids will probably be best between midnight and dawn on April 22 or 23, 2015, with the nod being given to April 23,” according to the EarthSky website. “The light of the waxing crescent moon won’t interfere, as it will set way before the peak hours of the Lyrid shower. If you’re out there with friends, a lawn chair to recline on, a sleeping bag to stay warm and thermos of something hot to drink … you’ll have fun.”

Lately, it seems that Connecticut residents haven’t been having much luck weather-wise, when it comes to celestial phenomena. We missed out on seeing the April 4 lunar eclipse due to cloudy conditions and it seems a similar forecast is in store for the Lyrids.

But if the Lyrids are visible, stargazers may be in for a treat.

“Another beautiful feature of the Lyrids to watch for … about one quarter of these swift meteors exhibit persistent trains – that is, ionized gas trails that glow for a few seconds after the meteor has passed,” EarthSky noted.

Your Local National Weather Service Forecast

Middlebury

Wednesday-Thursday: Showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm before 8 p.m., then a chance of showers between 8 p.m. and midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 37. West wind 8 to 14 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Woodbury

Wednesday-Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before midnight, then isolated showers between midnight and 1 a.m. Some of the storms could produce small hail and gusty winds. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 38. West wind 7 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Photo by Blyzz, via flickr creative commons