AUSTIN, Texas — Stargazers across Central Texas could have a chance to see the Lyrids meteor shower this weekend – as long as Mother Nature behaves.
However, the KVUE Storm Team is tracking some weather changes this week that could disrupt stargazers viewing plans.
The peak of the shower is between April 21-23, with about 10 to 15 meteors per hour.
Throughout much of the work week, cloud cover is going to be very pesky during the day and night due to increased atmospheric moisture and a few low-impact disturbances.
Technically, you could go out any night this week and try your luck at catching a few shooting stars ahead of the meteor showers peak. But we wouldn't recommend it because the hit-or-miss rain is expected to last through Friday morning, in some fashion. You'll need an especially clear night, with minimal moonlight, for viewing.
Thankfully, the moon will be in a new moon phase and shifting through a crescent phase from the 19 to the 27, so too much moonlight won't be an issue.
The most active time for viewing will be over the weekend. Mother Nature will be showing off just in time for Earth Day after midnight and ahead of dawn on April 21, 22 and 23.
On Friday, there is an increasingly confident trend that a cold front will have moved out of our area by morning, leaving us mostly clear over night into Saturday morning.
However, now cloudier conditions are trending upward for Saturday night and early Sunday morning, so maybe don't bet on that being the best night for viewing.
On Sunday night, the meteor shower will still be peaking. If you want to catch the shooting stars one last time before the work week, you should have a good chance.
Sunday now poses a larger chancer for showers and storms per the current forecast. At a 60% chance. Overnight conditions may still just be partly cloudy, but this will also not be the best night for viewing.
Here's the most recent KVUE forecast:
