Sirius is the very bright star to Orion's southwest. Just north of Leo is the Big Dipper, part of the constellation Ursa Major. The Lyrids meteor shower peaks during the pre-dawn hours of April 22. Meteors appear as momentary streaks of light as they burn up in their plunge through the Earth's atmosphere. Just recline comfortably on a lawn chair and gaze at the sky.
Numbers vary from year to year.
For the Lyrids, patience might reward you with several meteors each hour, although in 1982 the Lyrids unexpectedly escalated to about 90 an hour. The Sun derives its energy from a thermonuclear fusion process that transforms nuclei of the element hydrogen into nuclei of the element helium.