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Lyrid meteor shower set to peak midweek

It’s not going to be a stunning display, but it serves as a good early morning distraction right now

ROANOKE, Va. – I’ve seen a lot of people breaking out the tents in the backyard, now that we’ve got more time on our hands. We could all use a distraction right now, and Mother Nature just might offer that up for us mid-week.

If you feel like braving the cold and pitching a tent, the Lyrid meteor shower is set to peak Wednesday before sunrise. Now, this isn’t going to be an outburst. Experts project roughly 10 to 15 meteors per hour. However, there are some bits of good news.

The first bit is that we expect a clear sky, with high pressure building into the eastern U.S. Secondly, the moon will be in its new phase. So, moon light won’t dim any of the shooting stars that do become visible.

Peak occurs Wednesday morning

You’ll want to find a dark spot away from city/suburban lights, and give your eyes some time to adjust. Look toward the northeast as a starting point, but understand that these can be visible anywhere in the predawn sky.

While you’re out there, see if you can spot Mars, Saturn and Jupiter in the southeast sky too!