Australians bored in social isolation should look to the heavens this week for some light relief as the Lyrid meteor shower prepares to dazzle the night skies.

It is one of the oldest meteor shows on record, having first been sighted more than 2700 years ago.

Between 10 to 18 meteors are expected to shoot across the sky per hour, from Wednesday night.

The Lyrid meteor shower is visible each April, usually between the 16th and the 25th. But this year, the display is due from April 22 to April 23.

And in good news for sky watchers, the Lyrid meteor shower can be seen around the world – pending clear skies.

The Lyrid meteor shower will present a night skywatching show from April 22-23. (YE AUNG THU/AFP/Getty Images)

Just before midnight and soon after will be the best time to see slower, longer meteors that streak horizontally across the sky, called earthgrazers. Some of them have trails that glow for seconds after the meteor has disappeared.

The shower occurs this time each year when Earth's orbit crosses paths with that of Comet Thatcher. The comet loses pieces of itself that go flying into our upper atmosphere at 177,000 kilometres per hour.

Lyrid gets its name from the Lyra constellation. The Lyrid shower is one of the oldest known, with records of visible meteors going back 2700 years, according to EarthSky .

The Lyrid meteors are small pieces of Comet Thatcher, which orbits the sun about once every 415 years. Comet Thatcher will return in the year 2276.

But bits of debris left in the comet's wake make an appearance every year, in April.

For the best viewing, star gazers should move away from artificial light and lay on the floor looking up to the sky.

Allow your eyes to adjust to the dark for about 20 minutes for optimal viewing.