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RandomFactor writes:

For those with romantic, or just skygazing inclinations - the annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks tonight or tomorrow night (depending which organization you believe.)

Meteor showers like the Lyrids occur when Earth passes through the dusty trail left behind by a comet. The meteors can appear all across the sky, but they seem to streak out of a spot to the northeast of the bright star Vega (called the meteor shower's radiant). This meteor shower is easier to see in the Northern Hemisphere because that part of the sky is high above the horizon before dawn, although you can see a lower rate from the Southern Hemisphere.

In the Northeastern U.S. comets coming out of the radiant should be visible starting around 9 or 10 pm and will continue through the night, climbing higher in the sky as the evening progresses.

Regardless of when you look, the key to watching a meteor shower is to go somewhere as dark as possible and make sure you give your eyes enough time to adjust — don't just dart outside to look at one; allow 20-30 minutes to adjust. Be sure to dress warmly, if you're somewhere cold, and get somewhere comfortable to sit where you can lean back and look at the whole sky. Because meteors can appear all across the sky, the naked eye is the best tool you can use; telescopes and binoculars will narrow your view.

The Lyrid meteor shower is named after the constellation Lyra, from which it appears to emanate. It is generated when the Earth passes through the tail of Comet Thatcher, which orbits the sun every 415 years.

Comets disintegrate as the sun's heat causes ice and other debris to break off the core. This leaves a trail of rubble in space. In the case of Thatcher's path of debris, the Earth runs into it once a year and produces the sky show.

The Lyrid meteor shower was observed as early as 687 B.C. when it was recorded by Chinese astronomers and is one of the earliest showers on record. It can generate bursts of several meteors a minute (up to 100/hour or so).

Note that the moon will be shining brightly which can make observations a bit more difficult, but it still should be a good show.

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