A 2,000-Year-Old Meteor Shower Is Lighting Up Michigan Skies This Week

If you’re someone who loves a good night sky show, one of the best ones annually will be be returning to Michigan skies to wrap up the month and wow us all. The Lyrid meteor shower arrives later this month, and Michigan is in a great spot to catch it.

If you aren’t an avid stargazer, you may not know that the Lyrids are one of the oldest recorded meteor showers in human history. In fact, they were watching it back in 687 BC China, so you’re just seeing history repeating itself. And while we’ve come a long way since then, our appreciation for a streak of light across a quiet night sky hasn’t changed a bit.

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The Lyrids will be active from Tuesday April 16th, through April 26th, but the real show happens in the early morning hours of Tuesday April 22nd. That’s when you’ll want to set your alarm, grab a blanket, and head outside while the rest of the world is still asleep to watch the dazzling show (assuming those pesky clouds aren’t in your way.)

If you’re serious about seeing it, makes sure you give your eyes some time to adjust. A quick step onto the porch isn’t going to cut it. You’ll want to spend at least 30 minutes in the dark to let your eyes acclimate. That means finding a dark, quiet spot—ideally away from city lights—throwing on a coat, maybe grabbing a warm drink, and settling in for a while.

It’s peaceful, it’s beautiful, and honestly it’s one of those simple joys that makes you forget (at least for a moment) that your email inbox even exists.

These meteors aren’t as plentiful as the famous Perseids that happen in August, but the Lyrids still bring a dazzling show. You might see 10 to 20 meteors per hour during the peak of the show, and every now and then they put on a surprise performance with as many as 100 meteors an hour.

NASA says they’re known for being fast, bright, and sometimes even delivering a “fireball” or two, so you might see some of those super bright flashes that light up the sky if you’re willing to wait.

What causes the Lyrid Meteor Showers? Well, all of this cosmic activity comes from debris left behind. That space dust burns up in our atmosphere, creating the bright trails we love to watch.

So if you’re in Michigan and looking for something a little magical this month, look up. The Lyrids are waiting.