Eyes on the sky: Lyrid meteor shower is happening soon

An amazing event for sky gazers is approaching fast as the Lyrid meteor shower is likely to appear in the sky this weekend.

The mesmerising view had been earlier predicted by astronomers that the meteor showers will be lighting up the sky among other rare space events.

According to Nasa, those who want to see the meteor showers won't see long trails streaking through the sky. Instead, Lyrids may look like fireballs.

If you have also been waiting for such a glance, you need to sit tight as the hours of patience are coming to end. What you need to do is just find a perfect place and stick your eyes to the sky.

Where can you see Lyrid meteor shower?

Light in the sky would be clearly seen if only there is enough dark but if the meteors are very bright and obvious to see, they will also be seen while there’s light. Similarly, the right time to capture the glance of the Lyrids meteors will be after midnight and on the morning of April 22.

At that time, the meteors are likely to be visible in the constellation Lyra rising in the east and at midnight will be high above the sky in the southeast.

The gaze could be captured better if you can get to a place far from the city lights and centre your sight on the Vega star, one of the brightest stars in the sky and the most luminous Lyra.

What you need to do is wait and watch and pay attention to the sky above you.

Though according to astronomers, the point of origin of the meteors is Lyra. However, they can be seen anywhere in the night sky.

The meteor showers and their tail will be better visible when far from the point where there is already light.

The meteors produced by the Lyrids meteor shower are 18 per hour and if you want it to see better and clear, a dark sky and a place with no light will be ideal. Moreover, the moon would not be present in the sky so its light will also not interfere with the mesmerising gaze of Lyrids meteor shower.

What is a meteor shower?

Meteors are the pieces of small space rocks which burn up as they try to enter into the earth's atmosphere. As a result of its speed and its contact with the earth’s atmosphere, it starts to burn to spark a flash of light with a tail.

Meteor showers also take place when there is a trail of dust in the way of Earth’s path left behind by a comet. Comets are described by astronomers as a large solid part of ice and dust including other frozen materials which can be several miles in diameter.

As a comet passes near the Sun, its frozen ice begins to evaporate and becomes gas travelling into space alongside its dust. After some time, the dust starts to slow down and falls behind the comet’s path from where it was tagged.

What is Lyrid meteor shower?

As the Earth passes through the path of another passed comet, the small parts of dust create a meteor shower. The Lyrid meteor shower which we are yet to see is left by the comet called C/1861 G1 (Thatcher).

Thatcher was first discovered in 1861 by astronomer AE Thatcher and no one has ever witnessed it.

The comet Thatcher takes over 415 years to orbit the sun, and it will not be coming close to the sun until the year 2283.

The meteor shower that you are seeing or are yet to see is left behind by comets that passed over 160 years ago.