Since last April 16, lovers of what happens in the sky have been watching the Lyrids. A meteor shower that takes place every year around this time and lasts until April 25.
Of course, there are days that are more propitious to observe this meteor shower. We tell you what they are.
The maximum activity will take place on the night of April 22-23. The thin crescent of the Moon will allow observation in optimal conditions throughout the night.
However, the best time to see the meteor shower is after the moon has set, at dawn, with a very dark sky and protected from light pollution.
The Lyrids reach speeds of up to 200,000 kilometers per hour and with a rate of 20 shooting stars per hour, at times of maximum activity. They stand out for being brighter than other meteor showers due to the composition that the comet had in its tail.
The most advisable thing is to travel to a point far from the city, where there is no light pollution and, as far as possible, allows us to have a clear view of the sky.
It is recommended not to use optical instruments such as binoculars, as they limit the field of view. “It is convenient to direct the gaze towards the darkest areas, in the opposite direction to the position of the Moon if the observation is made when it is present. The most comfortable thing is to lie down and wait for the eyes to get used to the darkness”, they advise from the Astronomical Observatory.
This meteor shower, visible mainly from the northern hemisphere, is so called because the meteors have their radiant in the constellation Lyra. These cosmic flashes are nothing more than the dust left behind by the tail of Comet ‘Thatcher’, discovered in 186.1 when it brushed against the Earth’s atmosphere a few decades ago.
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