Lyrid Meteor Shower 2013 Peaks: Where and When to Watch

The Lyrid meteor shower 2013 peak is here, and mostly cloudy skies will make viewing a challenge in Johnston.

The skies have been largely empty of visible meteor showers since the Quadrantids of early January, but the shooting stars of the Lyrids have been a reliable spectacle for, oh, 2,600 years or so.

The Des Moines Astronomical Society offers sessions on what's in the night sky and viewing.

The Lyrids meteor shower peaks in 2013 on Sunday and Monday. The National Weather Service forecast for Johnston on Sunday going into Monday is for mostly cloudy skies, so check during any breaks for your best chance at catching a glimpse.

You can see what to look for in this video of the Lyrid meteor shower. Or check out photos of the Lyrids. And these charts of the Lyrids may help you locate the shooting stars.

The Lyrids tend to be bright and often leave trails and tend to peak at about 10-20 meteors per hour. One of the unpredictable aspects of this shower, though, is that it’s known for uncommon surges that sometimes result in up to 100 shooting stars per hour.

A downside to this year's shower: The moon will be bright until a couple of hours before dawn. Still, the greatest number of shooting stars tend to come after the moon departs anyway, so the show could still make getting up early worth it.

From where in the area do you sky watch? Tell us in the comments section below.

— Includes reporting by Patch Editor Todd Richissin