Hundreds of meteors are expected to dash across New Zealand skies over the next week as the Lyrid meteor shower hits its peak.
According to NASA, the Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers, having first been observed in China around 2700 years ago.
The meteors originate from the leftover comet particles of comet Thatcher, which circles the sun every 415 years.
But while Thatcher won't next be visible from Earth until 2276, the Lyrids can be seen every year in autumn, around April 15 - 26.
This year, they will reach their peak in New Zealand skies on the night of April 22 - 23.
NASA said the best time to watch is after 10:30pm when the moon sets.
"Find an area well away from city or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.
"After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient - the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse."
WeatherWatch's Philip Duncan says Kiwis in northern and eastern parts of New Zealand will have better chances of seeing the meteors.
"Being autumn it can be a tricky time of year to get nice big windows of clear skies but hopefully on Thursday some parts of NZ will have clear skies.
"In the North Island it may be cloudier in the early hours of Thursday compared to at night time when more clear spells may be apparent.
"The South Island seems to be the other way around with the early hours of Thursday perhaps seeing the clearest skies and Thursday night looking cloudier (with thickening high cloud in the east)."
There are expected to be around 10 - 20 meteors per hour but the Lyrids can reach as many as 100 per hour.
