Get Ready for the Peak of the Lyrid Meteor Shower this Weekend: Here's How to Watch the Spectacular 'Falling Stars'

One of the earliest recorded meteor showers, the Lyrids, reaches its peak in late April and has been observed for over 2,700 years. The Chinese recorded the first sighting of a Lyrid meteor shower in 687 BC, according to NASA.

 

The Lyrid meteor showers will be active from April 15 to 29, with their peak anticipated to occur between April 22-23. During this time, peak activity is expected to produce around 18 meteors per hour with a velocity of 29 miles (47 kilometers) per second.

To fully enjoy the celestial event, NASA suggests that the Lyrids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the dark hours, which is after the moonset and before dawn.

 

If you're keen on witnessing a mesmerizing 'falling star' display, make sure to venture far away from city lights or street lights that can hinder your view. Bring along a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair to make yourself comfortable. Once you've found a suitable spot, lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and gaze up, trying to take in as much of the sky as possible.

 

It may take around 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness, but with patience, you'll begin to see meteors streaking across the sky. As the night progresses, the show will continue to dazzle until dawn, so you'll have plenty of time to observe and appreciate the celestial beauty. Just remember to dress warmly and enjoy the show!

 

What is the origin of the meteors?

 

Meteoroids are debris from comets and broken asteroids that orbit around the Sun. As comets move, they leave behind a trail of fine dust particles. These debris fields intersect with the Earth's orbit every year, giving rise to a spectacular meteor shower.

 

As the meteoroids enter the Earth's atmosphere, the friction between them and the atmospheric gases causes them to heat up and disintegrate, creating the brilliant and colorful streaks that light up the sky. These meteoroids vary in size, and the larger ones can even produce a loud booming sound as they disintegrate.

 

In fact, some meteoroids are large enough to survive the journey through the Earth's atmosphere and reach the ground, becoming meteorites. These meteorites can provide valuable information about the composition and history of our solar system.

 

What is the procedure to watch it online?

 

At 8:30 pm on April 22 (0030 GMT on April 23), the Virtual Telescope Project is scheduled to launch a live stream of the Lyrid meteor shower on its website and YouTube channel.

 

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