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In the coming days, we will have the opportunity to see the most intense moments of Líridas, the meteor shower that occurs every year in April. The phenomenon started on the 14th and continues until the 30th, but the peak is expected at dawn on the 22nd: we expect to see an average of 18 meteors per hour.
Unfortunately, this average will not be visible to everyone. As the meteor shower occurs in the direction of the Lyra constellation, hence the name Lyrids, the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere will have the privilege of 10-20 meteors per hour. Here in the southern hemisphere, 7 to 15 per hour can be observed, which is not bad either!
In Brazil, the North and Northeast regions will have advantages over the rest of the country. There, you can expect up to 16 meteors per hour. In the southern region, only 7 per hour will be visible. Still, this is one of the most admired astronomical events, because it can be followed by anyone and the naked eye, without the need for any special equipment. Just look at the sky and wait for the “shooting stars” to appear!
This year, Lyrids will take place during the new phase of the Moon. This is great news, as the drastic reduction in lunar luminosity will help you see even more meteors. In 2019 there was not so much luck: Lyrids occurred during the brightest phase of the Moon.
About the Lyrids Meteor Shower
This meteor shower is made up of dust and debris leaving Comet Thatcher as it passes through the Solar System, which happens once every 415 years. When the Earth passes through the comet’s trail during its orbit around the Sun, the fragments end up going through our atmosphere, then they burn and fall in the form of what we call “shooting stars”.
Lyrids has been known to mankind for a long time. There are records of this meteor shower in the Chinese book of chronicles Zuo Zhuan, from the year 687 BC. C., and also there is a registry of Chinese astronomers that, in the year 15 a. C., the Lyrids were an impressive event.
How to observe the Lyrid meteor shower
An advantage of this astronomical event is that we don’t have to worry about locomotion. In times of social isolation, it is a good opportunity to enjoy something incredible in heaven without having to leave your home. All you need to do is stay awake at night and go out onto the balcony, backyard, or even a window in the right direction, and then look up at the sky. The darker the room, the better, so it’s worth turning off all the lights in the house!
The best time to visit this year’s peak begins around 2:00 a.m. on the 22nd (that is, at sunrise from Tuesday to Wednesday) and runs until just before sunrise. Although the radiant rain is in the Lira constellation, you don’t need to look in this direction to see the meteors. They seem to come out of the constellation, but they cross the sky everywhere.
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