The meteor shower is caused by dust particles from comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher). It's expected to produce up to 15 meteors per hour in the night sky between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. on Tuesday. According to NASA, the Lyrids have been observed for 2,700 years, making it one of the oldest known meteor showers. The annual meteor shower takes place each April.

One of the oldest known meteor showers, the Lyrids, will peak in the very early hours of Tuesday, April 22, when around 18 “shooting stars” are expected each hour.

Best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, the Lyrid meteor shower is the world's oldest known of its kind and reliably occurs every April.