Spring is the start of meteor shower season, and there's a good chance to see plenty of shooting stars this month!

Who Knew Space Trash Was So Pretty?

You know the saying, "One man's trash is another man's treasure?"  That's kind of what a meteor shower is.  While the meteors we see during meteor showers aren't exactly "trash," they are debris such as particles from a disintegrating comet.  Who knew debris could be so pretty?

The American Meteor Society breaks down what exactly causes a meteor shower.

A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate from one point in the night sky. These meteors are caused by streams of cosmic debris called meteoroids entering Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds on parallel trajectories. Most meteors are smaller than a grain of sand, so almost all of them disintegrate and never hit the Earth’s surface. Intense or unusual meteor showers are known as meteor outbursts and meteor storms, which may produce greater than 1,000 meteors an hour.

Here's The Best Chance to Wish on a Shooting Star This Month

Do you remember the song 'Airplanes' by B.o.B.? It goes, "Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars?  I could really use a wish right now."  Anyways, maybe lately you've also felt like you needed to wish on a shooting star. Good news! If you're superstitious and want to make a few wishes, you will be able to see plenty of shooting stars at the end of April when the Lyrids Meteor Shower is in full swing!

When is the Lyrids Meteor Shower

According to the Farmer's Almanac, the Lyrids Meteor Shower will peak April 22nd - 23rd, and it's estimated there will be anywhere from 10-20 shooting stars each hour.  They say that for the best chance to see a shooting star, you'll want to look to the east and overhead from 2 AM to 4 AM.

One of the Best Meteor Showers to Catch This Year

The Farmer's Almanac also explains that if you want to watch a meteor shower, it's best to watch one that happens when the moon isn't full.  The brighter the moon is, the harder it will be to see the meteors. During the Lyrids Meteor Shower peak this year the moon will still just be a crescent.   The Farmer's Almanac says that based on the moon phase timing with the meteor showers this year, they recommend making plans to view the following meteor showers above others.

We highly recommend: The Lyrids (April), Orionids (October), and Geminids (December).