Lyrid Meteor Shower 2022 - When and where to see it in the UK tonight
manchestereveningnews.co.ukThe Lyrid meteor shower will reach its peak across the UK tonight, treating stargazers to up to 18 meteors an hour. The celestial display is expected to peak in the early hours of April 23 and will be visible all across the sky.
Meteor showers, or shooting stars, are caused when pieces of debris known as meteorites enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of around 43 miles per second, burning up and causing streaks of light.
The Lyrid shower takes its name from the constellation of Lyra, where the shooting stars appear to originate from. The meteor shower, which originally began on April 14, is the product of leftover debris from Comet Thatcher which occurs every year around mid to late April. Read more: Mum 'fuming' after being asked to 'prove she lives in UK' at Manchester Airport As the Earth passes through the debris they burn up and light up the sky.
It's believed to be the oldest recorded cosmic event in history with records dating as far back as 687 BCE. The Lyrids will be visible in both the northern and southern hemispheres and UK stargazers should be able to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower due to the sheer size of the event.
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