The Lyrid meteor shower has already started, and it is bound to keep all stargazers up all night, looking at the amazing celestial show put up by the stars. This week, the meteor shower will also be visible in the night sky of Cornwall. This shooting star display has a peak which lasts one night. During this peak, approximately a hundred shooting stars are seen every hour.
- The Lyrid meteor shower started on April 16, being ready to amaze every stargazer.
- This meteor shower display is caused by the Comet Thatcher.
- Scientists announced that it will end on April 25.
The Lyrid meteor shower lasts a few days. This year, the first meteors were already seen. Every April, this spectacular meteor shower takes over the night sky, being caused by the Comet Thatcher. This comet was last seen back in 1861 and specialists argue that we should expect it to return in 2276. The meteors represent debris of the massive comet, little remnants which are left behind along Thatcher’s journey through space.
When these residues enter the upper atmosphere of our planet every year, the outcome is the Lyrid meteor shower which offers an amazing display for stargazers. These meteors enter the atmosphere at above 177,000 kilometers above our planet. They can travel 110,000 miles per hour. Since this meteor shower is possible due to the Comet Thatcher, many have been wondering why this meteor display is not called the Thatcher meteor shower.
The name of this meteor shower display received its name from the Lyra constellation, being the direction from which the meteors seem to spring from. They seem to come from the bright star Vega and the constellation Lyra the Harp. The spectacular celestial show will be visible in Cornwall in the night sky.
Stargazers need to make sure they are under clear skies, in a very dark location, away from the city lights which could impair their vision of the shooting stars. Moreover, this meteor shower is bound to be visible for everyone living in the northern hemisphere. Even if it has already started on April 16, this does not mean that there is no chance for stargazers to see it.
A stargazer in Cornwall has already spotted the first meteors. He argued that he was out in the garden at night, in St Agnes, and that he saw two shooting stars. Over the next few days, meteors will continue to cross the night sky. The Lyrid meteor shower will end on April 25.
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