Celestial spectacle: Lyrid meteor shower to light up the April sky

Get ready to witness the spectacular display of Lyrid meteor showers, a celestial ballet of shooting stars that have enchanted stargazers and astronomers for the past 2700 years. The Lyrid meteor shower occurs when the Earth passes through the debris left behind by the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, a very small icy body that revolves around the sun every 415.5 years.

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When Earth encounters the debris, tiny particles are drawn into the atmosphere which burns up and becomes the bright light which, according to NASA, we call meteors.

Lyrid meteors shower typically occurs in the month of April, and this year they have decided to give us company until April 26, peaking on the night of April 21 and the morning of April 22. Though these meteors aren't as fast as the Perseid showers in August, Lyrids can occasionally surprise gazers with 100 meteors per hour. According to NASA, plenty of Lyrid meteor activity was seen in Virginia (1803), Greece (1922), and Japan (1945), but generally, only 15-20 meteors can be spotted during peak hours.

However, the shrunken moon crescent will slightly hinder the visibility of the exhibition this year.

When and where to watch

The Lyrids are best viewed in the Northern Hemisphere during the dark hours between midnight and dawn. This year, the ideal time to watch the showers is between 3am and 4:30am, the time when the sky is the darkest.

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NASA has advised the gazers to come prepared with a blanket, find an area away from the city or the street lights and limit screentime beforehand to help the eyes adjust. They also suggest gazing away from the radiant – a point in the sky from which the Lyrids appear – for a better chance to see long trails of the meteors.

The best viewing location to watch the celestial spectacle is Southwest US, specifically Central Texas. In India, however, visibility may be limited due to weather and the position of the meteor shower.

Sci/Tech