Tonight and tomorrow night, look up at the sky for a spectacular light show.
The Lyrid Meteor Showers happen annually, but this year’s "moonless" night and lack of cloud cover for the western two-thirds of the United States will make for better views.
The moon is in its new phase - meaning the side facing Earth isn't lit up by the sun, NASA's meteor shower expert Bill Cooke told Space.com. Last year, the moonlight made it harder to see the Lyrid show.
"The Lyrids are really unpredictable," Cooke told Space.com. "I'm expecting 15 to 20 Lyrid meteors an hour. Back in 1982, they outburst to nearly 100 per hour. You really can't predict with this."
Space.com reports that the Lyrid shower - which takes place as the Earth passes through dust from comet Thatcher - has been watched by humans for more than 2,600 years.
The meteor shower's name comes from the constellation Lyra.
The best times to watch are after midnight and just before dawn. Look to the northeast and pick a viewpoint well away from city lights. The darker the sky, the brighter the meteors will appear.
NASA recommends watching with the naked eye instead of through a telescope or binoculars.
You can also join NASA's live chat tonight with Cooke and other experts.
Enjoy the show!
Bonnie Schneider is a meteorologist for CNN and HLN. Her book Extreme Weather is on sale wherever books are sold, and through her website: BonnieWeather.com.
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Lyrid was a no show last night here in The Old Pueblo. Phoenix peeps, I doubt you saw anything either. We are going to hit the century mark today, so perhaps that will have an impact on tonights viewing pleasure but I doubt it.
Troy, you don't know what "just before dawn" means?
@banasy, sanity, I'm not sure about that. I adored every experience I had while in France and now want to finish my studies over there. I'm glad all is well in the banasy world.
Banasy world.
I call it banasyland, lol.
Your Mother and Father would miss you terribly were you to do that, and so would we here at the blogs.
@TORI, my little sleeping beauty, I support your choice but you will not be giving up your American citizenship.
That is why I love you and I will never give up my citizenship. You are quiet as a mouse up there. You are either sleeping or have your phone on silent. Maybe you are outside. I'll find you mom.
@ Troy, Rub the sleep outta your eyes ... It says "after midnight and just before dawn"
"The best times to watch are after midnight and just before dawn. Look to the northeast and pick a viewpoint well away from city lights. The darker the sky, the brighter the meteors will appear."
Reading all the way to the end can be very enlightening.
To my troll @ 2:l3, how about we meet in person? I guarantee you will be crappin your pants for real witch! Thanks @ CNN for leaving that post, while deleting legitimate posts! And you wonder why your ratings are slipping????
slipping??? They fell off the map 12 years ago!
@chrissy, I have missed you sweet lady. I see that nothing has changed on here. Why, I ask, is that still up?
Aparrently so...
That came out in the wrong place.
Who know what's up with that?
Welcome home, dear heart!
Apparently I can't spell apparently, either...lol...
@banasy, my dear friend, thank you. I will never forget your kindness to me when I first showed up on the blog board. How are you? It is good to be home.
Thank you, @TORI©!
I am fine...we are glad to have you back here; a spark of sanity here!
This are moving merrily along for me...and for you?
Did you enjoy your time abroad?
@ TORI
Welcome home. You have been sorely missed on these blogs.
@bobcat, thank you for that. I am very happy to be back. I just wish that CNN would put up today's events. How are you?
@ TORI
I'm doing very well, thank you. It's always a slow day for CNN on Sunday. If you want to say anything, you have to go to yesterdays news.
@bobcat, all I can say is OMG,OMG,OMG. How did you and mom pull this off? Both of us were literally sitting on the floor laughing and crying with smeary mascaraed eyes. So @dazzle drives my friends home, goes to church(no the roof didn't collapse) and she strolls in with a gigantic shopping bag from Cole Haan with all of these beautifully wrapped packages. It was sweet to get some new leather goods But then, I opened the last box and it was my old Tickle Me Elmo doll with a gigantic marble enhancement! Then she gave me a card that had your poem on it with your screen name and it was signed Love, Mom and bobcat(iah) and she sketched a picture of a bobcat wearing a baseball cap. I loved it and we are still laughing like loons. Thank you so much!
@ TORI
I am so glad you liked that. But give the biggest credit to your mom. When she told me what she was going to do with Elmo, I hit the floor laughing. Job well done @dazzle.
And again Tori, Welcome Home.
Oh, TORI©, you got your gift!
I have been waiting to hear about it!
I take it you liked it..
Tell your Mom to send me a pic!!
chrissy, I want to ride you around the room.
Light pollution will prevent most urban dwellers to see anything except passing airliners. Its harder to find a clean place to view anything these days. Have to pretty much go to Canada's wilderness. Even in rural USA the locals have build mcmansions with security lights.
"The darker side of the moon faces the Earth.." That's a very confusing way of stating it. The moon is tidally locked with the Earth, so we always see the same side of it. At least that's my understanding.
I stayed up late to watch...all I saw were two flashes...dud city...
google makes a program for smart phones that is free called google skymap that will let you use your smartphone to show you where that constellation is so you know the right way to look
This is just a cover story for the first wave of the Lyridian invasion !!!! The self destructing recon drone went over Ca./Nev. and area 51 this morning , huge explosion , streaking fireball ..........
May the Schwarz be with us !!!!!
Had one break through the atmosphere in Northern California this morning at 8:03am pst. Viewed by many in the Reno area, and the sonic boom was heard from Reno to Sacramento.
and @ rob, you definitely crossed the line, watch your mouth!