Meteor Shower That Looks Like the “Sky Raining Blood” Peaks Saturday—How to See It

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Unlike some major celestial events such as a passing comet , meteor showers stand out for being the kind of spectacle anyone can enjoy. Some of the annual events are notable for how active they are, producing dozens of bright streaks across the sky every hour. Others are famous for how stunning they can appear to viewers. And this weekend, a meteor shower that’s been described as looking like the “sky raining blood” will hit its peak. Read on for more information about how you can see it for yourself.

READ THIS NEXT: The Next Total Solar Eclipse Will Be the Last Until 2044, NASA Says .

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Amateur astronomers might want to take some time to look up at the night sky this week. The annual Lyrids meteor shower is now underway, creating a dazzling show above that will increase in intensity until this weekend, according to NASA.

The display begins in late April each year as Earth passes through the debris trail left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher , which circles by our planet roughly every 400 years. Like other meteor showers, the tiny particles of dust and rock collide with the atmosphere and burn up bright as they fall. But unlike other major annual showers where “shooting stars” create long streaks across the sky, the Lyrid meteor shower creates shorter bright blasts known as a “fireball,” per NASA.

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Besides its unique display, the Lyrids also stand out as one of the oldest meteor showers in recorded human history. The earliest sightings date back to 687 BCE in China, according to NASA. In the more than two and a half millennia since then, experts say some years have put on memorably dramatic shows for viewers.

Recorded descriptions of Lyrid meteor showers in the past from China and Korea have said the flashes appear to be red in the sky, according to William Cooke , lead for NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. And during the display in 582 CE, French monks described the spectacle as the sky raining blood.

“Maybe when people go out, they should look for reddish meteors,” Cooke told Fox Weather. “I don’t know—the sky raining blood sounds pretty dramatic to me.”

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While the Lyrids are already on display, the meteor shower is still ramping up. Activity will peak this Saturday, bringing anywhere from 10 to 20 meteors per hour.

Even though optimal viewing in each location will always come down to local weather, this year’s Lyrids have one distinct advantage that will enhance the experience. Since the moon is only in a slim crescent phase, it will cast less light into the night sky, making it much easier to pick up on the flashes expected to cross above.

Cooke also points out that even though the meteor shower isn’t usually as active as the Leonids or Perseids later in the year, the Lyrids can still exceed expectations. Notably, the event saw five times as much activity in 1982, 1945, and 1922, when as many as 100 meteors were counted per hour, according to NASA.

“Every so often, this meteor shower will surprise us,” Cooke said. “So every year when the Lyrids roll around, I wonder if they’re going to surprise us in terms of rates.”

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If you want to get the best viewing experience with the Lyrids this year, you might want to block off some time this weekend. The best viewing hours will begin at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday and extend through the night until the early pre-dawn hours, Cooke tells Space.com.

The Lyrid meteor shower is named for its “radiant” in the cancellation Lyra, meaning most of the meteors appear to emanate from this portion of the sky. You can locate it by finding the star Vega, which appears as one of the brightest objects in the sky, according to NASA. However, “shooting stars” will be visible throughout the night sky.

The best viewing environment will be free from light pollution, ideally away from city or town lights that can make it harder to see the flashes above. Plan on bringing a blanket or chair that will make it easy to lie comfortably on your back and take in as much of the night sky as possible, ideally with your feet facing east, NASA suggests.

It can also help to plan ahead. According to Cooke, your eyes will need about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, meaning you should also avoid artificial light sources. “The cell phone screens are bright, and it will ruin your night vision,” he told Fox Weather.

The Next Total Solar Eclipse Will Be the Last Until 2044, NASA Says

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Whether you’re a casual stargazer or a devoted amateur astronomer, there’s no denying that there’s something special about witnessing a rare celestial event like a solar eclipse. Besides the fact that they only occur a few times each decade, getting a good view can come down to where you live having the right weather conditions. If you’d love to witness a solar eclipse anytime soon, you may want to mark off your calendars. NASA says the next one will be the last you can see from the U.S. until 2044. Read on for more info on how to catch this unique event.

READ THIS NEXT: NASA Promises Humans Living on the Moon in 10 Years .

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If catching a major cosmic event has been an item on your bucket list, you might want to grab your calendar . On Apr. 8, 2024, North America will have front-row seats to a total solar eclipse for the first time since 2017. But besides being a relatively rare event in and of itself, this will also be the last opportunity to view a full eclipse from within the contiguous United States until Aug. 23, 2044, according to NASA.

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Even though many areas across the U.S. will be treated to at least a partial eclipse, only places that are in the total eclipse’s direct path will get to experience the moon entirely blocking out the sun . The first sight of totality on the continent will start on Mexico’s Pacific Coast before it becomes visible stateside around noon in Texas, according to NASA. From there, the path will continue north through Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before leaving the U.S. in the late afternoon.

Viewers in Canada will be able to experience the eclipse as it begins its path through Southern Ontario and eventually makes its way through Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton. The eclipse will disappear from North America as it passes off the East Coast of Canada in the early evening.

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So long as weather conditions remain favorable, part of what makes the experience of a total solar eclipse so special is the truly unique conditions it can create for those in its path. During the initial partial eclipse phase—or for those watching in areas outside of the total eclipse’s path—viewers will first notice a crescent blocking out part of the sun as the moon slightly covers the star while wearing the appropriate safety glasses, according to NASA.

For a few fleeting moments before the sun is covered, spectators might also be able to catch sight of Baily’s Beads, which are glimmers of light that form bright spots as sunlight passes through crags, craters, and valleys on the moon. A sharp, bright spot on the edge of the moon’s shadow known as the “diamond ring” will then appear, named for its resemblance to a sparkling piece of jewelry.

The moment the sun is completely blocked out is known as “totality,” marking the only point of the experience you can watch directly without protective glasses. Spectators might be able to make out different parts of the sun’s atmosphere, including a pink ring created by the star’s chromosphere or rays of white light from the corona. But while the view above is spectacular, sights on the ground can be just as surreal as conditions can create “a 360-degree sunset,” planets and bright stars can become briefly visible, the air temperature can drop, and “often an eerie silence will settle around you,” NASA describes.

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If you’re already excited to catch a glimpse of the rare celestial event for the last time until 2044, it might not be a bad idea to start preparing for the experience. Arguably most importantly, NASA warns you’ll need the correct specially designed safe solar viewing glasses or handheld viewer to actually be able to see it . Otherwise, you’ll need to use an indirect viewing technique, such as a pinhole projector.

“Except during the brief total phase of a total solar eclipse, when the moon completely blocks the sun’s bright face, it is not safe to look directly at the sun without specialized eye protection for solar viewing,” the space agency warns, clarifying that normal sunglasses won’t offer sufficient protection. “Viewing any part of the bright sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.”

And besides ensuring you have the proper equipment, you might also want to consider arranging a place to stay if you have to travel to witness the event. Cities along the path of totality will likely see a large influx of tourists scooping up available lodging, with Ross saying organizers expect anywhere between 375,000 to 500,000 people to descend upon Rochester alone.

“We’ve been starting to spread the word really since 2019 by meeting and also kind of designating everyone as an eclipse ambassador, so everyone watching right now, get ready because all of your out-of-town relatives are coming here [and] they’re gonna want to stay in your house,” Ross told WROC.