This evening, experts say to expect showers. Instead of rain boots and umbrellas, curious viewers opt for blankets and an appetite for the unearthly.

Though viewing the Lyrid meteor shower is an unusual way to celebrate the early hours of Earth Day on Wednesday, it provides a greater understanding of the Earth’s encounters while orbiting the Sun.

The Lyrid meteor shower began April 16 and will peak late this evening and during the early hours of Wednesday.

Meteors, also known as “shooting stars,” are the result of debris and rocks entering the Earth’s atmosphere. Commonly, meteor showers result from comets’ dust trails intersecting Earth’s orbital path.

With the Lyrids, the comet Thatcher – not the constellation Lyra – is responsible. Spectators associate the shower with Lyra because the Earth is tilted in a way that makes the meteors appear to originate from that direction. The constellation is named after the musical instrument, the lyre.

“For me, one of the best experiences is viewing a meteor shower,” said Inseok Song, assistant professor of astronomy. He said he would often see a meteor every 10 seconds while working at an observatory in Hawaii. Despite the high frequency of meteors, the Lyrids usually produce 10 to 20 meteors per hour and are not as eventful as others including the Perseids and Geminids. On the other hand, Song said the Lyrids are unique for their brightness and tendency to leave visible trails.

Astronomy professor Loris Magnani said there are many general factors that may limit or enhance viewing meteor showers.

“A good rule of thumb is, if you can see more than one streetlight, porch light or any kind of night time illumination, then it’s too bright,” he said. “[Additionally], if students are going to be out in the middle of nowhere after midnight, they [should take] all due precautions as far as safety.”

Magnani said looking for meteors after midnight is better because of the Earth’s rotational position. Laying on the ground while looking straight up into the sky also increases one’s field of view to spot a meteor.

Robin Shelton, associate professor of physics, said that observing any astronomical phenomenon can be fun and enriching.

“When people come to the open house at the [University's] observatory, planets like Saturn go from being a distant object to something that is near and real,” she said. “Learning more about astronomy is good for science and people’s understanding of it because it’s often presented in a relevant and interesting way.”