PENNSYLVANIA — Residents of the Keystone State should look up to the skies later this week as the otherworldly Lyrid meteor shower may be visible cascading overhead.

The best time to see this often-fireball-rich star show in Pennsylvania is early in the morning on Friday. You may see them in the late evenings now through Friday as well — weather permitting.

The first of the spring meteor showers is an average sky show, producing about 15 or 20 shooting stars an hour. However, it historically has produced bright Lyrid fireballs that blaze across the sky and leave dust trails that last for several seconds, according to NASA.

The moon will be a problem, with more than 60 percent of it still illuminated via the recent full pink moon, and that may wash out fainter meteors. But because the Lyrids are known to be exceptionally bright, patient skywatchers should be rewarded.

It should be at least partly cloudy if not clear skies for much of Pennsylvania for the coming days, according to forecasters, offering a prime chance at viewing. The western part of the state may see some rain Thursday, but things will look to clear up by nightfall.

In some years, the Lyrids dance across the sky at a rate of about 100 an hour in what's called an "outburst," but NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com he expects about 18 shooting stars an hour this year.

Outbursts are difficult to predict, he said. They occur about every 30 years, but that's only an average, Cooke said. "People say there is some periodicity there," he told Space.com, explaining "the data doesn't support that" because actual numbers between outburst events vary.

The Lyrid meteor showers are produced by dust particles left behind by the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher — a "long period comet" whose orbit around the sun takes 415.5 years, according to NASA. The Lyrid meteor shower has been observed for some 2,700 years and is one of the oldest-known meteor showers.

To see the Lyrids, head out to a dark sky location after moonset. Be sure to pack along a sleeping bag and blanket (and perhaps a reclining lawn chair) and lie flat on your back with your feet facing east, NASA said. Patience pays. Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and prepare to stick around until dawn.

As with all meteor showers, unless it's already dark where you live, it's best to get out in the country away from city lights to get the best views. Pennsylvania is actually home to the first International Dark Sky Park, t.hink about a trip to Cherry State Park.

Located toward the north-central part of the state up in Potter County, Cherry is famous for the breadth of the Milky Way that can be seen at night. The Milky Way itself casts a "shadow" that is visible due to unique conditions and the remoteness of the park. It was named an International Dark Sky Park in 2007, the first in Pennsylvania. It lies 4.5 hours from Philadelphia and 3.5 hours from Pittsburgh (Details).

The next chance to see meteors will be in early May with the monthlong Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which started Tuesday and runs through May 28 and peaks May 4-5. The meteor shower favors the Southern Hemisphere, where it produces about 60 meteors an hour, but it's a decent show in the Northern Hemisphere, too, and viewers in this part of the world can expect to see about half that many. Comet Haley is the parent of this meteor shower, which has been observed since ancient times.

The Eta Aquariid meteors are swift and produce a high percentage of persistent dust trails, but few fireballs, according to NASA.