STARGAZERS will be treated to a celestial display as the Lyrids light up the skies on Thursday morning.

The meteor shower is set to peak on the morning of April 22, but shooting stars will come head-to-head with moonlight which may spoil the view. 

Meteor showers are caused when pieces of debris, known as meteorites, enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of around 43 miles per second, burning up and causing streaks of light.

The Lyrids takes its name from the constellation of Lyra the Harp, where the shooting stars appear to originate from.

The meteors are pieces of debris falling from the comet called C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which is expected to return to the inner solar system in 2276, after a 415-year orbital period.

The Lyrids occur between April 16 and 25 every year.

But the moon is waxing, which means it is out for longer after dark and the bright moon could interfere.

Although this year’s peak may be impacted by the bright night, some of the shooting stars may be visible on the days before and after this date.

The Lyrid shower will not take over skies, especially compared to winter showers such as the Geminids. At its peak, a stargazer may catch five to 10 Lyrids under clear skies. 

The best time to spot this natural phenomenon is predawn hours on Thursday, April 22, so head to a spot with little light pollution and allow your eyes time to adjust.

While between midnight at dawn would typically be the best time, due to the brightness of the moon, between moonset and dawn is preferable this time around.

In Darlington, the moon will set at 4.46 am on April 22. It occurs just one minute later in Durham and a minute earlier in Stockton. 

The next meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids, is expected to peak on May 5 or 6.