How To Best View The Lyrid Meteor Shower Tonight In So. Utah

Spring skies bring sky-watching spectacles as the annual Lyrid meteor shower returns.

Astronomers expect the meteor shower to reach its peak on Monday night going into the early-morning hours of Tuesday.

Depending on the weather and sky conditions viewers could see up to 15 shooting stars per hour.

Experts say look to east after dark and you may catch a glimpse of a meteor streaking across the night sky from now until Apr. 29.

Experts say there are a few tips to maximize your viewing experience:

Avoid well-lit areas/city lights -- Light pollution, as it's come to be known, has a real effect on viewing the meteor showers. Bright lights not only obscure your view, but also tend to make your eyes contract and limit your viewing ability.
Consider climbing a hill -- Seriously, higher altitude makes for better viewing and gets you above the haze of a city.
Give it time -- If you do find a dark place, give yourself time to adjust to the darkness.
Take your time -- At about 15 "shooting stars" per hour, that's a shooting star around every four minutes. That means if you only give it 15 minutes, you'll likely be disappointed. But spend an hour or two out in the dark and you're likely to have an enjoyable experience.
Look ... up -- Many people get caught up in looking toward the Eastern sky. There's really no need. The Lyrid meteor shower is a collection of remnants from a comet's tail and the so-called shooting stars will appear in all parts of the sky, not just the East.
Make it a double -- For an extra-special experience, officials are suggesting heading to a designated dark sky state park -- or a National Park. All five of Utah's National Parks (Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, Zion and Capital Reef) are designated dark sky spaces.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower will last through Apr. 29.