According to British astronomers, the Lyrid meteor Shower peaks tonight. Clear skies are forecast across most of the UK tonight so get out of your chair and take in the spectacular shooting star show. After midnight, the light show will be most impressive. Northern Europe is where you can see the most spectacular light shows on Earth. Lyrid meteor shower is also called the April Lyrids. It is composed of dust particles from the comet C /1861, which was discovered in 1861, by A. E. Thatcher (New York). This is the largest annual meteor shower from a comet. NASA recommends that stargazers dress warmly. They can either use a reclining seat or lay down on blankets and gaze up. The April Lyrids are described in records that date back to ,700 year when Chinese astronomers first saw them. From 16 to 25April, you can expect between 5 and 20 meteors an hour. This averages to about 10.. A particularly active shower was observed in 1982,, producing around 90 an hour. We know of a record in 1803, where a “storm” of meteors produced 700 an hour. NASA reports that a reporter in Richmond, Virginia observed the shooting stars Wednesday morning. It was a sight that shocked many and amazed all who saw it. Between one and three in the morning those meteors looked like a rain of sky-rockets …”. According to Greenwich’s Royal Observatory, the radiant will rise to about 34deg from the east horizon at midnight on 23April. A distance of 90 from any radiant is the best area to search for meteors. This is where they are most bright. The NASA skymap depicts the Lyrid radiant just before dawn local time on April rd. Image: NASA. The Royal Observatory states that the best time of day to view them is between dawn and midnight. Radmila Topalovic (an Astronomer at Royal Observatory) stated that the best spot to view the Lyrids in the sky is an open area where the entire night sky can be seen. The best time to view the Lyrid meteor shower is just after midnight.
