With the Lyrid meteor shower expected to light up the skies this month, we reveal how to get the best view and what to look for.
What is the Lyrid meteor shower?
This annual celestial display occurs every April when the Earth passes through debris left by comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher) on its orbit around the Sun – a journey that is thought to take about 416 years. “It’s sort of falling apart as it goes,” said Dr Ed Bloomer, an astronomer at Royal Observatory Greenwich.
As Earth orbits the sun it collides with this debris and the specks of dust burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere. That creates a meteor shower, which is seen in the same part of the sky each year. The Lyrids appear to come from near the constellation Lyra, the harp, from which the shower gets its name.
It is thought to be the oldest recorded meteor shower, with sightings documented in China in 687BC.
When is it visible?
The Lyrid meteor shower lasts for several days, with Bloomer noting the greatest period of activity is expected to be between 19 and 25 April, although meteors might be visible from early this week.
The shower is best viewed in the northern hemisphere but can be seen in the southern hemisphere where the constellation of Lyra is visible.
What’s the best way to look for meteors?
Grab a blanket or deck chair, find somewhere dark, and set up your spot. Then glance up.
Bloomer said the best time to view the shower in the UK is about 4-5am. He recommended facing east and then turning about 30 degrees towards the north-east, allowing the meteors to cut across your field of vision.
You can also use star map apps on your phone to help locate the constellation of Lyra.
What should I expect?
As Bloomer noted, the Lyrids do not look like fireworks, but rather transient sparks of light – although occasionally larger pieces of debris burn up in the atmosphere resulting in bright, longer-lasting meteors known as fireballs.
“There’s no real shortcut to it. You’ve got to let your eyes adjust to the dark, and you’ve got to keep at it,” he said. “The rate might only be 18 per hour.”
Bloomer added that the meteors can come in fits and starts, and a flurry can be followed by several minutes without any. “And if you blink at the wrong time, you might miss that one,” he said. “So it’s quite a personal experience because you’ve no time to alert anybody to it.”
Indeed, when it comes to viewing the skies, it seems the most important tool is patience.
“You just have to bliss out a little bit, or be a bit Zen and just look at the sky,” said Bloomer.
