Turn off your TV and head to the balcony tonight! A spectacular meteor shower, awaits residents tonight. The first meteor shower of Spring 2020 will hit the UAE skies this evening. The spectacular show will have fireballs streaking though the darkness. The Lyrids (named after the Lyra constellation) have been in the skies for two days now. However this was invisible to the naked eye due to cloud formation.
Watch the skies & time travel with the stars☄️
Spotted by stargazers for >2,700 years, the Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers and will be lighting up the sky tonight and tomorrow night. Right on cue to celebrate #EarthDayatHome: https://t.co/ba5xjuTE7e pic.twitter.com/JLb5r4OLas
— NASA (@NASA) April 21, 2020
And now that clouds have cleared up, residents can catch a glimpse of this stunning phenomenon tonight. The metro shower is expected to be visible from 10pm tonight until the early hours of Thursday.
Bill Cooke, lead of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center said, “since the Moon will be nearly invisible April 22, rates should be about as good as it gets for this shower.”
Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers, spotted by stargazers for over 2,700 years. They originate from the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Because the shower is active from mid- to late April, some Lyrid meteors may still appear before and after the peak, but tonight will be your best chance to see them. So, there’s no chance you will miss this. Grab a blanket, cook up something hot and party under the stunning sky tonight! The shower’s peak will last for a few hours, but maximum activity is expected to occur around 2 a.m.
Kick back, relax and enjoy the brilliant, cosmic event!