2 weeks Ago
It’s already shaping up to be a busy year for stargazers and space enthusiasts. Although the weather is warming up and days are getting brighter, it is also the perfect time to gaze into the night sky. There has already been a pink moon, a blood moon , a partial solar eclipse and even the potential for life on other planets.
Earlier this year the Bolton News reported on the the Quadrantid meteor shower, which lit up the night skies. Now residents across the UK will have the opportunity to spectate the Lyrid meteor shower lighting up skies. As one of the oldest meteor showers currently known to humankind, the Lyrid will be visible until Friday April 25 and expected to peak on Tuesday.
The fireballs are created by debris from Comet Thatcher, which takes more than 400 years to orbit the Sun. According to NASA, Lyrids don’t tend to leave long glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through the Earth's atmosphere, but they can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball. READ MORE: Blood moon and partial lunar eclipse to light up Bolton sky How to see the Blood Moon in the UK tonight — all to know Blood moon set to dazzle stargazers - when to see it What is a meteor shower? Meteors are the result of small particles entering the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, typically around 40km per second for the Quadrantids.
The pieces of debris heat up due to friction with the air and are usually destroyed in under a second at altitudes above 80km. The superheated air around the meteor glows briefly and is visible from the ground as a streak of light known as a “shooting star”. Unlike many astronomical events, meteor showers are easy to watch and do not require any special equipment to be enjoyed.
How can I view the Lyrid meteor shower? According to experts, meteor showers are best viewed across, clear and dark skies without the need for specialist equipment. Professor Christopher Collins, an emeritus astrophysics professor from Liverpool John Moores University, said: “The Lyrid shower can best be viewed across skies that are clear, ideally in an open location with minimal light pollution that is away from the brightness of the moon. “Specialist equipment isn’t necessarily required, but it might be worth investing in a strong camera lens if you want to take pictures – as the meteor shower might be difficult to capture via smartphone.
“Find a relaxing spot, grab a warm drink and enjoy the beautiful spectacle!” Across Bolton, cloud coverage across skies is set to remain high over Easter weekend, but this is anticipated to reduce slightly for Easter Monday – the optimal viewing time..
