Lyrid meteor shower will reach its maximum activity this year on the morning of April 23, 2015. The Moon will be 5 days old at the time, and so will present minimal interference. Lyrid meteors are known for their luminous dust trains observable for several seconds.
The pieces of space debris that interact with our atmosphere to create the Lyrids originate from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher discovered on April 5, 1861, but the first recorded sighting of a Lyrid meteor shower goes back to 687 BC which makes them one of the oldest known meteor showers.
Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors and though they are not as fast or as plentiful as the famous Perseids in August they can surprise watchers with as many as 100 meteors seen per hour. Sightings of these heavier showers occurred in 1803 (Virginia), 1922 (Greece), 1945 (Japan), and 1982 (U.S.). In general, 10 - 20 Lyrid meteors can be seen per hour during their peak.
