Weather.com - 4/21/13, Terrell Johnson
Stunning Lyrids Over Earth at Night
The image above shows a very probable Lyrid in a six-second exposure, taken on April 22, 2012. NASA astronomer Bill Cooke mapped the meteor to the star field -- seen in this annotated image -- and confirmed that the meteor originated from the Lyrid radiant. (NASA/JSC/Don Pettit)
If you're in the right place outdoors on the night of Earth Day, keep an eye on the sky. You're likely to see something that only comes along once a year: the annual Lyrid meteor shower.
Set to make their annual spring return on the night of April 22-23 – though it began as early as April 16 and can last through April 26 – the Lyrids are named for the constellation Lyra, where they originate near the star called Alpha Lyrae, or Vega.
More: Weather.com.
