Lyrid meteor shower to light up the sky in mid-to-late April

A spectacular Lyrid meteor shower will be visible from mid-to-late April, according to the Department of Astrophysics at Baku State University.

The peak of the shower is expected to occur on April 22 at 10:04 PM Baku time (GMT+4), when viewers can anticipate seeing 18-20 meteors per hour, News.Az reports, citing local media. 

The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors. Though not as fast or as plentiful as the famous Perseids in August, Lyrids can surprise watchers with as many as 100 meteors seen per hour. Sightings of these heavier showers occurred in 1803 (Virginia), 1922 (Greece), 1945 (Japan), and 1982 (U.S.). In general, 10-20 Lyrid meteors can be seen per hour during their peak.

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.

The meteor shower in Baku can be observed every evening after 08:18 pm on the mentioned days. The radiant (source) of the meteor shower will reach its highest point after dawn - at about 05:00 am. Therefore, the best observation conditions will be created in the hours before dawn. Due to the rotation of the Earth, Baku at that time will be in the direction of the movement of incoming meteors, which will allow observing the maximum number of meteors. The radiant point in Baku will be at a maximum altitude of 83°. At this time, about 17 meteors can be observed per hour.

News.Az