Every year, between April 16 and April 25, the Lyrid meteor shower streaks across the skies. This year, the luminous phenomenon is set to peak in the early hours of April 22.
What is the Lyrid meteor shower?
Meteor showers occur when the Earth crosses the path of a comet, colliding with the trail the comet leaves in its wake, which explains their predictability. As the cosmic debris burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, it paints bright streaks in the sky, and so we get what we refer to as meteor showers or shooting stars.
Known for its luminous dust trains, the Lyrids are associated with Comet Thatcher, a long-period comet that orbits the sun every 415.5 years, last reaching its closest approach to the sun in 1861. Named after amateur astronomer A.E. Thatcher, who discovered it, Comet Thatcher and, by extension, the Lyrids, have been documented in many cultures as far back as 687 B.C. China, and has since lit up the Earth every April.
Can the Lyrids be seen in Australia?
Although not as luminous as other meteor showers, the Lyrids are still quite bright, and the average shower produces 15 to 20 meteors per hour. However, because this shower’s radiant — the point from which the meteors appear to originate — is far to the north on the sky’s dome, the Southern Hemisphere does tend to see fewer Lyrid meteors. Still, it’s worth a try!
If you want to give wishing on a star a shot, the best time to watch for the Lyrids is in the predawn hours of April 22 when the shower’s radiant is at its highest in the sky, although that will give you less time, as the sky starts lightening.
As always, if you want a front row seat to nature’s fireworks, head to a dark, clear location like the Mt Coot-tha Summit Lookout or, if you don’t mind a bit of a longer drive, remote spots like Wild Horse Mountain and Lake Moogerah both present the opportunity for some incredible views. We recommend consulting a light pollution map and you can also find more tips on how to make the most of any meteor shower here.