Lyrids meteor shower to streak across S’pore skies from 17 to 26 April, visible to the naked eye

Lyrids meteor shower to grace Singapore’s skies this month, peaks on 22 and 23 April

Singapore’s stargazers have something superb to look forward to this month, with the Lyrids meteor shower set to streak across the skies.

The meteor shower will be active from 17 to 26 April, peaking on 22 and 23 April.

Meteor shower best viewed away from city lights

The Lyrids meteor shower is one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records dating back to 687 BC in China.

They’ve kept up this annual ‘visit’ to Earth’s skies every April, and Singapore isn’t left out of this astronomical event.

According to Science Centre Singapore, the best time to catch them is after 11pm, when the sky is as dark as it can get.

However, there’s one more obstacle impeding stargazers: Singapore’s bright city lights, which can drown out fainter astronomical sights.

Eager observers should thus seek darker locations away from the city glow, such as parks, beaches, and reservoirs.

Science Centre Singapore also recommends finding a comfortable, safe spot with an unobstructed view of the sky, preferably facing eastwards.

Check weather forecast for clear skies to get best view of meteor shower

Observers should also check the weather forecast that night, as cloud cover can greatly affect visibility.

If luck holds up, you can be treated to the sight of 10 to 20 bright meteors streaking across the night sky per hour at the peak of the phenomenon.

Occasionally, the Lyrids may generate especially bright flashes known as fireballs, briefly lighting up the sky.

No special equipment is required as they’re visible to the naked eye.

Meteors come from dust in comet’s tail that Earth passes through

Getting their name from the constellation Lyra, where they appear to originate, the meteors are actually debris from the tail of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.

Comet Thatcher is an icy rock that orbits the Sun roughly once every 422 years. When it gets close enough, it sheds streams of dust and gas that trail behind it.

Every April, Earth passes through this stream of debris left behind by the comet.

Striking the atmosphere at a blistering 46km per second, the particles burn up on entry, turning into bright streaks of light like fleeting sparks raking across the April night sky.

Also read: Residents in M’sia startled by ‘meteor’ lighting up night sky, loud bang also heard

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Featured image adapted from NASA.