The oldest known meteor shower, the Lyrids, will be visible on Tuesday, April 22. Its first recorded appearance dates back to 687 BCE, when Chinese observers documented the stars falling like rain.
According to the statement, this annually recurring meteor shower, usually seen around April 22, will be most visible in the early hours of Tuesday morning. At that time, up to ten meteors per hour may be seen in the sky, and fireballs may also appear among them.
The source of the meteor shower has been identified as Comet Thatcher, which passed near the Sun in 1861 and orbits it once every 417 years.
The Lyrids are named after the Lyra (Harp) constellation, which appears above the horizon during the meteor shower. It is one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records going back 2,700 years. According to Chinese records from 687 BCE, the Lyrids were exceptionally active at the time, and the meteors were said to have “fallen from the sky like raindrops.”
The Lyrids produce significantly higher-than-usual activity roughly every 60 years, with the next outburst expected in 2042. The last spectacular event occurred in 1982.
To observe the meteor shower, the Svábhegy Observatory is organizing a special viewing event on Monday evening, with more details available on their official website.
(MTI)
Picture: illustration.
