The Lyrid meteor shower was first recorded nearly 3,000 years in the past by Chinese astronomers.
And they had been named after the constellation of Lyra from the place the meteors seem to originate and happens yearly from 16 to 25 April, however typically peaking round 22 April.
Distinctive options of the Lyrids are their colors and brightness – together with exceptionally vibrant fireballs once in a while, outshining the planet Venus.
The colors are created by very small mud particles – no larger than a grain of sand – interacting with the particles and ions in Earth’s environment.
As the grains warmth up and ionise, they produce the sunshine we will see with the path produced because the meteor cools and fades.
Fireballs are made when bigger items of particles – extra like the dimensions of a grape or an acorn – go although the environment. As they’re a lot larger once they warmth up they create a flash and a line, typically referred to as a prepare, behind them.
While the Lyrid meteor shower is seen yearly, Comet Thatcher takes 415 years to finish its orbit of the Sun and will not be seen once more till 2283.
