Forecast for the Lyrid Meteor Shower 2013 Peak

Will the skies cooperate for the Lyrids meteor shower 2013 peak?

Not likely, but we can always hope.

The forecast for Monday night calls for rain before 4 a.m., before possibly switching to snow. Cross those fingers now, people.

The Lyrids peak on April 21 and 22. 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 Lyrid meteor shower made its 2013 debut last week in the skies above Ankeny — and of all the year’s many shows in the heavens, this is one to catch.

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 about 2,600 years.

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.

Do you have a favorite spot to watch meteor showers in Ankeny? Let us know in the comments!

A downside certainly exists this year: 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.

If the clouds cooperate, you could head out to Saylorville Lake to catch a glimpse.