Lyrid meteor shower 2024: How to see peak of ‘fireball’ shooting stars

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The 2024 Lyrid meteor shower has arrived, providing skygazers an opportunity to catch a protracted show of ‘shooting stars’.

The annual meteor shower radiates from the constellation Lyra – referred to as the Harp – within the northeastern sky, although the meteors might be seen streaking throughout any half of the night time sky.

The Lyrids shall be energetic between 14-30 April, with the peak happening from late night on the night time of 21 April till the daybreak of 22 April. On this date, about 18 meteors per hour shall be seen with the bare eye, travelling at a velocity of round 47 kilometres (29 miles) per second.

Viewing situations within the UK won’t be very best over the subsequent few days, with rain and cloud protecting most of the nation on Tuesday and Wednesday.

This weekend ought to current a much better alternative for individuals eager to catch a glimpse of the celestial spectacle, in accordance to the newest forecast from the Met Office, as an space of excessive stress brings clear skies from Friday.

The Lyrids are one of the oldest recognized meteor showers, having been first recorded greater than 2,700 years in the past by Chinese astronomers.

“Lyrids don’t tend to leave long, glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through the Earth’s atmosphere, but they can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball,” Nasa defined on its web site.

An straightforward manner to spot the Lyrid meteor shower is by in search of the star Vega, which is one of the brightest stars within the night time sky and doable to discover even in closely light-polluted areas.

Astronomers additionally advise to look away from the radiant level of the Lyrids, as they may seem longer and extra spectacular due to an impact of perspective referred to as foreshortening.

“Find an area well away from city lights or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket, or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,” Nasa notes.

“After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient – the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”