Meteor shower can be seen across the country: learn how to observe

The Lyrids or Lyrids meteor shower can be followed across the country between the night of this Friday (22/4) and the beginning of the morning of this Saturday (23/4).

According to the National Observatory, the best time to observe the phenomenon will be from 1 am this Saturday.

To facilitate this orientation, it is recommended that the observer directs the right arm towards the place where the sun rises (east) and the left arm towards the place where the sun sets (west). “So, it will be facing north”, guides the Observatory’s text.

The best way to watch the Lírids is to stay in a dark place with a good view of the open night sky. It will be possible to observe up to 18 meteors per hour.

At dawn from the 22nd to the 23rd of April, we will have the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower! Come learn more details at: https://t.co/ZaZFz1iOYy pic.twitter.com/SlP6lqMs2V

— National Observatory (@Obs_Nacional) April 19, 2022

What are meteors?

Meteorites are fragments of solid matter from space, which arrive on the Earth’s surface. Fragments that enter the Earth’s atmosphere but do not reach the surface are called meteors. The phenomenon leaves a “bright streak” in the sky, which is popularly called a “shining star”.

Planet Earth passes through the dusty wake of Comet Thatcher every year at the end of April. This path results in the meteor shower called Lyrids or Lyrids, as it is located in the direction of the constellation Lyra.

The Earth is passing through the region since the 15th of April and will finish the journey on the 29th of the same month.