Excellent astronomical conditions for Lyrids observation
These days, fans of observing the night sky can enjoy the view of the Lyrid meteor shower. The space phenomenon is active from today and will last until April 25. The peak meteor activity will occur on Sunday, April 23, 2023.
The Lyrid meteor shower is associated with the P/Thatcher period comet, which has an orbital period of 415 years. The first record of the observation of this astronomical phenomenon dates back to 687 BC. The path of the meteor shower passes close to Saturn. The width of its current is small, and the central filament is only 200,000 km long, so the phenomenon lasts only a week.
The astronomical conditions for observing the Lyrids in 2023 are excellent. "During the peak activity, the Moon will be 3 days after the new moon phase and will not disturb the visibility of weaker meteors with its light. Due to the height of the radiant above the horizon, the conditions for observation are always better in the second half of the night," adds astronomer Ján Svoreň from the Astronomical Institute SAS.