From April 16 to 25, we will have the pleasure of enjoying the Lyrids – a truly spectacular spring shooting. Its peak is expected on April 22 at approximately 10 a.m.
It will be visible after 10 p.m., when its radiant (in the constellation Lyra) rises above the northeastern horizon, and by the end of the night it is already high in the sky.
An average of 10-15 meteors are expected to fall per hour!
The Lyrids have been observed since 687 BC, but their behavior over the years has been unpredictable and often presents surprises.
The stream has repeatedly shown unexpected bursts of activity. In 1803, at the maximum, 700 Lyrids fell per hour, and in 1922 – 1800!
Unfortunately, in 2024 the observing conditions will not be ideal. On April 23 – just after the peak of activity – there is a full moon, which means that the moonlight can “silence” the night sky. Cloudy weather and April showers can also prevent you from enjoying the phenomenon.
What is the Lyrid meteor shower?
It is called the Lyrids because at first glance it seems to come from the direction of the constellation Lyra. In fact, however, it has nothing to do with this distant group of stars.
Meteor showers are the product of small space rocks and dust that crash into Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up, creating a high-energy fireball. To people living on Earth, they appear as a bright streak of light in the sky.
In the case of the Lyrids, the rocky debris comes from comet C/186 G1 (Thatcher), which left behind a trail of space dust when it passed by our planet hundreds of years ago.
