With Lockdown Improving Air Quality, Indians Can See The Lyrid Meteor Shower For The First Time In Years

In late April, Indians will get to watch the Lyrid meteor shower, the trail of a comet that has been orbiting the Sun for centuries.

The meteors are visible from April 16 to April 30, and with the air quality being improved as a result of the lengthy lockdown in India, we might get to see them with our bare eyes, the first time in years.

When To Look For Lyrids

The Lyrid meteor shower will peak at night between April 22 and April 23.

According to Bill Cooke, meteor expert of NASA, as with the majority of other meteor showers, the best time to view Lyrid is before dawn.

Another reason you will not want to miss this year's event is that the Moon will be a thin crescent at that time, so its light won’t flood away your observation.

Lyrid meteor shower usually produces at least 15 meteors each hour. However, this year, skywatchers can only see about 10 per hour. That also depends on how clear the sky at your location is.

In some years, we might catch an outburst with Lyrid producing up to 100 meteors each hour. However, this phenomenon is very difficult to predict.

Astronomers said that each outburst was around 30 years apart, but the actual number varies widely so that estimation is not exactly reliable.

How To Observe Lyrids In India

The good news is, you do not need lots of skills or special equipment to observe the Lyrid meteor shower. All you need is a lot of patience, time (which we have plenty amid this lengthy lockdown), a clear sky, and a little help from an interactive app. We recommend the Interactive Meteor Shower Sky Map, which works magic for skywatchers.

Here are a few tips to maximize your experience:

• You can see the meteors better if you station at a secluded spot, as far away from the city light as possible. Once you find a suitable place, give your eyes 15 to 20 minutes to get used to the darkness. If your house is at a comfortable distance from the city light, it will be the best chance to see the Lyrid meteor shower as you do not need to break the lockdown rules.
• It is best bringing along a chair and a blanket if it is cold at night where you stay. Dress comfortably as you might have to wait for hours.
• The next thing to do is to lie down, use the app to find the radiant, and look in that direction.

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