Here's How You Can Watch the Lyrid Meteor Shower Lit up the Sky This Week

One of the biggest stars show of the year 2020 will be observed in the sky this week. The annual Lyrid meteor shower, which is held in April every year, marked its commencement last Thursday, April 16. The meteor shower will stay active for 10 days, with Wednesday being the peak of the light show.

According to the Griffith Observatory, stargazers can watch the peak night between late Tuesday and Wednesday morning.

It can be called a coincidence that the Lyrid meteor shower reaches its peak on April 22, which is also celebrated as the Earth Day around the world. This will also mark the first major meteor shower since January this year.

During the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, the stargazers will be able to observe around 15 to 20 shooting stars per hour. Interestingly, as the event is marked on a moonless night, one might be able to get a clearer view of the night sky.

The American Meteor Society explained on the website, “These meteors are best seen from the Northern Hemisphere where the radiant is high in the sky at dawn. Activity from this shower can be seen from the Southern Hemisphere, but at a lower rate”.

Lyrid meteor shower: When and where to watch it

According to NASA, the Lyrid meteor show will begin at 10.30pm at their local time on April 21 (8 am IST on April 22).

Lyrid meteors are pieces of Comet Thatcher, a comet that orbits the sun about once every 415 years. Every year, the pieces of debris left in the comet’s wake make an appearance during this time. Meteor showers are a result of Earth crossing the path of a comet. They are more likely known as ‘shooting stars’.