Lyrid meteor shower 2014 lights up sky for Earth Day, week after

April 22, 2014 (CHICAGO)

The Lyrid meteor shower is visible from April 16-25.

"Everyone in the Northern Hemisphere with clear skies can see the Lyrid meteor shower," NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said on NASA.gov. "The best viewing will be between midnight and dawn, local time to wherever you are."

Cooke recommends finding a dark place away from city lights and giving your eyes 30 to 45 minutes to adjust.

"Lie on your back and look up (avoid looking at the bright moon), allowing your eyes to take in as much sky as possible," he writes on NASA.gov.

NASA is streaming the shower from Huntsville, Ala., at http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/watchtheskies/lyrids-ustream-2014.html#.U1aCZRDLJfY.

Lyrid are pieces of debris from the periodic Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher and have been observed for more than 2,600 years, NASA said. Each April, Earth runs into the comet's stream of debris, and the Lyrid meteor shower is visible.

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