Astronomy fans will have an opportunity, at dawn today (22), to observe an astrological phenomenon. On this night, the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower (or Lyrids) occurs, which can be seen from Earth from April 15 to 29.
According to the National Observatory, up to 18 meteors per hour can be seen under ideal conditions: clear skies and poorly lit places. The best time for viewing will be from 1 am (Brasilia time), when the meteors are at a good height in relation to the horizon. The best regions of the country to observe the phenomenon will be the North and Northeast.
The meteor shower can be seen every year in late April, when Earth passes through the region of space that served as a route for Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1), which left a trail of dust and debris in the direction of the constellation. from Lyra. This year, the phenomenon coincided with the beginning of the waning moon, which will make it difficult to observe the less bright meteors because the moon will be 67% bright.
To see the meteor shower, the National Observatory advises the observer to be in a place with low light pollution and to look north. To facilitate the recognition of the cardinal points, the observer who does not have a compass should extend the right arm to the place where the sun rises (east) and the left arm to the place where the sun sets (west). That way it will be facing north.
Small celestial bodies moving through space and entering the Earth’s atmosphere, meteors burn up partially or completely due to friction with the Earth’s atmosphere and contact with oxygen molecules. This phenomenon leaves a luminous streak in the sky, popularly called a “shooting star”.
