Lyrid Meteor Shower 2013 Peak: When and Where to Watch in Cranberry

The Lyrid meteor shower is already underway, with its peak due on Monday and Tuesday, but here's a tip: Get outside Sunday and look to the skies over Cranberry for what could be your best view of this year's show.

The National Weather Service is calling for mostly to partly cloudy skies on Saturday and cloudy skies Monday night, but Sunday it's supposed to be clear up above, and pre-dawn hours are your best chance at catching the falling stars.

According to Accuweather meteorologists, the shower will be visible through April 26, peaking during the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, April 21, and Monday, April 22.

This is the first major meteor shower since the Quadrantids in early January.

While the Lyrids average 10 to 20 meteors an hour, AccuWeather's Mark Paquette said there is potential for significantly more. The Lyrids tend to be bright and often leave trails. 

Paquette said predawn hours offer the best view of the meteors as the star Vega, Lyra's brightest star, sits nearly overhead. In the evenings the shower sits closer to the horizon, blocking many of them from view. The waxing moon will also light up the sky until after midnight, dimming the sight of the meteors.

The greatest number of shooting stars tend to come after the moon departs, so the show could make getting up early worth it.

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.

One of the closest good viewing areas with the least amount of excess light is North Park. You might want to try the parking lots at the top of the hill, just outside the Golf course club house.

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