Lyrid Meteor Shower Coming To Banning-Beaumont: How To View

SAN GORGONIO PASS AREA, CA — The Lyrids are coming, Banning and Beaumont.

What are they? Meteors — and they are expected to produce a medium strength shower this year starting April 16 and peaking around April 22.

The Lyrids usually produce "good rates for three nights centered on the maximum (April 22)," and are often observed as fireballs, according to the American Meteor Society. Their source is particles of dust from the "long-period" comet, Thatcher.

The meteors are best seen from the northern hemisphere — that's you Banning and Beaumont — high in the sky after moonset and before dawn. During the peak shower, expect to see about 20 meteors per hour.

The Lyrids have been observed and reported since 687 B.C. — no other modern shower has been recorded as far back in time, according to NASA.

The Banning/Beaumont weather forecast calls for partly cloudy skies during much of the Lyrid shower, but forecasters are predicting clearer nighttime skies on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. During the peak shower period, the moon will be about 68 percent full.

Learn more about the Lyrids — and how to view them — from NASA.