The 2009 Perseid meteor shower. 

The first major meteor shower of spring is upon us, and if skies remain clear enough over the Pacific Northwest, it promises to be a good show.

Sky watchers in Oregon should plan to look skyward Saturday night, when the Lyrid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak.

Because meteor showers are not one-night events, there are plenty of other opportunities to see the event. The entire Lyrid meteor shower will last from April 15 to 29. Those who wish to see it under the darkest skies possible should try to catch it on April 19, when there will be a new moon.

One of several major astronomical events in 2023, the Lyrids are considered a medium-strength meteor shower, according to the American Meteor Society, peaking at 10 to 15 meteors per hour — though rare outbursts can sometimes result in up to 100 per hour.

The meteors are best seen under dark skies, and in that regard, the forecast is good: a waxing crescent moon the night on Saturday will provide little in the way of natural light pollution. Meteor watchers will also want to get away from human-created light, finding stargazing spots away from cities or, ideally, in officially-designated Dark Sky Places.

The peak will begin about 9 p.m. Saturday in Medford, according to Time and Date, ending around 6 a.m. on Sunday. The meteors will appear in the northeast, near the bright star Vega.

As with most astronomical events in the Pacific Northwest, cloud cover may be the biggest obstacle to seeing the show. Extended forecasts by AccuWeather currently call for clouds and periods of rain in Portland that night, though a chaotic Northwest spring comes with no guarantees.

If you miss the Lyrids, you still have plenty of other opportunities to catch meteors this year. In May, the Eta Aquarids will return, followed by the Delta Aquarids and Alpha Capricornids in July. The famed Perseid meteor shower may be your best bet, peaking under a crescent moon on Aug. 12-13.