[title]
While the whole world comes to a standstill, nature is still going about its business. All around the globe, you see animals venturing into areas once packed with humans. Not to mention the recent super pink moon which emerged on April 8. Here's another thing to look forward to: a meteor shower will light up skies around the world this week – including Singapore.
The first meteor shower since 2020's first meteor shower in January (Quadrantids), the Lyrids are bits of rock and dust left behind by a comet called C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Each year in April, the Earth drifts through a cloud of debris from an earlier visit by the comet – in 1861, FYI. Those particles collide with our upper atmosphere at a speed of about 43 kilometres per second.
The mesmerising display will appear from April 16 to 25, peaking on the night between April 22 and 23. The Lyrids will be visible in the North Eastern night sky after midnight (between 2.30am to 6am). This coincides with the new moon, which makes for better viewing conditions. But keep expectations low, as the Lyrids are usually more parred down compared to big banner meteor showers like the Perseids, an infamously bright and plentiful meteor shower that usually peaks in August. Not to mention, Singapore's light-polluted night sky makes it challenging to observe meteor showers. But if you happen to be in the darker parts of Singapore such as Pulau Ubin, Lim Chu Kang and Lorong Halus, you might just be able to catch it. This interactive map can tell you exactly where to look. For a virtual view of the meteor shower, head on to The Sky's online planetarium.
There's also a whole range of things to do this week for astronomy buffs, starting with the Science Centre Observatory's virtual stargazing sessions on their Facebook page, and NASA's plethora of virtual tours.