The annual Lyrid meteor shower is reaching its peak Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, with NASA forecasting 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour visible across much of the globe, with the best views in the Northern Hemisphere. This year's display is aided by a dim crescent moon that sets before the shower intensifies, leaving dark skies largely unobstructed. The Lyrids, one of the oldest recorded meteor showers with sightings documented over 2,500 years ago, are caused by debris shed by Comet Thatcher — a body that only passes close enough to Earth to be directly observed once every 415 years; astronomers recommend watching after midnight from a location away from city lights.