The spring Lyrid meteor shower is already beginning — the first "shooting stars" will be visible on the night of April 21. But the main moment is still ahead: peak activity is expected from April 22 to 23, the Moscow Planetarium reported.
It is on this night that the sky will offer the maximum number of "chances to make a wish" — under good conditions, up to 18–20 meteors per hour can be seen. It is best to observe after midnight and closer to dawn, when the shower rises higher above the horizon.
The Lyrids appear every year when Earth passes through the trail of dust left by Comet Thatcher. The particles slam into the atmosphere at enormous speed and burn up, leaving bright flashes behind.
The maximum of this shower is brief — activity rises sharply and then declines just as quickly. That is why the luckiest nights are literally just a few days in a row.
If you miss the Lyrids, the next chance to "catch a star" will come in May — during the Aquariid meteor shower.
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