The night sky has captured human imaginations as long as we’ve been able to look up. From planetary parades to the northern lights, there is an amateur astronomer in us all, and tonight (April 17) is a perfect time to embrace that inner star-gazer as the Lyrid meteor shower is set to return.
The last major meteor shower was the Quantradids back in January. Since then we did have a pink micromoon and a lunar eclipse, but nothing star-related has been going on for four months, making the Lyrids much anticipated. We should say though, don’t get your hopes up too much. This shower isn’t quite as impressive as the last one was, and the upcoming Eta Aquariids, which will peak on May 5, is also likely to be quite a bit clearer.
But that doesn’t mean the Lyrid shower won’t be worth looking out for. Here’s everything you need to know to give you the best chance of seeing the Lyrids at their peak this year.
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What is the Lyrid Meteor Shower?
As with all meteor showers, the Lyrids are made up of little bits of space debris, like chunks of rock, which have come from comets or asteroids and get sucked into our atmosphere . The streak of light that you see is because they are falling so fast that they heat up to 1600°C. Never mind frying, you could vaporise an egg on that surface.
They’re generally tiny so burn up long before they have the chance to hit the surface of the Earth. They are measured by ‘hourly rate’ of meteors that would be visible to an onlooker at peak activity – the Lyrids has an hourly rate of about 18, which isn’t too many considering that bigger showers, like the Perseids, see rates of up to 150 per hour.
You can learn more about the science behind meteor showers from Royal Museums Greenwich (RMG) here.
When is the Lyrid meteor shower?
The shower lasts a few days, beginning yesterday (April 16) and continuing until April 25, so you can catch it anytime between now and then. However, its peak, which is the time you’re most likely to be able to view it with the naked eye, will be on April 22 and the very early morning of April 23. It will be particularly visible that night because of the position of the moon.
What is the best time to see the Lyrid meteor shower?
This shower is most visible just before dawn. The sunrise is currently at 6am, so the Lyrids will likely be most visible between 3-5am on Wednesday April 23, so you’re in for either a very late night or an even earlier morning.
However, RMG also notes that ‘the Moon will be below the horizon until around 3am’, which could make it easier to see the shower slightly earlier on. The longer you stay out the better your chances become of seeing the meteors, so wrap up and bring a flask of tea.
Tips to see the meteor shower
Some things, like best practice for stargazing, never change. As always, you’re most likely to catch a glimpse of the stars at the top of a hill, far away from the nearest city. Once you’ve found a spot, give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark (which does involve not looking at your phone), and lie down if you can. You basically want to give yourself the best possible chance of not missing what is often a very fleeting moment.
You don’t need a fancy telescope, although binoculars are always a plus. The most important thing, however, is far beyond any of our control. If it’s a very cloudy night, there’s nothing any mortal can do to improve visibility, so before you head off you’ll want to check the weather. Currently, April 22 is looking likely to be cloudy pretty much across the entire country, but we advise you to check back closer to the time for a more accurate report.
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