AYLIN WOODWARD, BUSINESS INSIDER The first meteor shower of spring is peaking Thursday morning. The Lyrid meteor shower, which happens in late April each year, occurs when the Earth passes through the tail of a comet. As debris from that comet enters our planet's atmosphere, it burns up, leaving streaks in the sky that are visible to the naked eye for several seconds.
When the Lyrids peak, people can expect to see between 10 and 20 meteors every hour. These meteors often leave "glowing dust trains" in their wake as they disintegrate, according to NASA. The moon is more than half full this week, which will make it trickier to spot the shooting stars. Here are some tips for catching the Lyrids in action.