RAINING FIRE
Stunning Lyrid meteor shower photos reveal fiery space rocks soaring over Earth
THE Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak in the early hours of this morning, resulting in some amazing photos.
The first meteor shower of spring is taking over the sky this week so there is still time to try and get your own stunning snaps like the ones below.
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The shower is expected to continue until April 30 so there is still time to try and catch a glimpse.
The Lyrids are made from falling debris from the comet Thatcher.
The best time to watch is between midnight and dawn, somewhere with an open sky and less light that’ll let viewers see the sky clearly.
Bille Cooke, a NASA meteor expert, that the average Lyrid shower has around 15 to 20 meteors per hour.
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Some dedicated photographers were able to snap photos last night.
Others spotted the shower earlier in the week.
This year, skygazers might see around 10 meteors per hour, depending on how clear the sky is.
The Lyrids have been known to 'show off' with around 100 meteors per hour.
Each year, the Lyrid meteor shower is expected from around April 16 to 25, but this year astronomers expect it to streak from Sunday to April 30.
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For those wanting to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower, they should look east, as the radiant point for the Lyrid is near the constellation Lyra, which has bright star Vega in the east.
Astronomers say viewers don’t need to be an expert to see the shooting stars; just look toward the east in an area with clear sky with no artificial lights.
The meteor shower is much more visible in the Northern Hemisphere, so the viewing and the United Kingdom should be optimal.
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NASA suggests coming to meteor showering-viewings “prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.”
“Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible.”
After around 30 minutes of darkness, the human eye will “adapt and you will begin to see meteors.”
Astronomers note that patience is important, as the “the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”
What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa...
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth's atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it'll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn't vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth's atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vapourising)
Elon Musk's Starlink 'internet satellites' caught ruining footage of last week's rare Unicorn meteor shower
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In other news, Nasa has shared a stunning image of IC 2944 – better known as the "Running Chicken Nebula".
It also revealed a rare image of a comet breaking up.
And, the space agency recently gave out some new grants for innovative space projects.
Did you watch the recent meteor shower? Let us know in the comments...
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