Watch out for Lyrids meteor shower on April 22

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino sky watchers can expect to see 15 meteors on the late night of April 22 to pre-dawn of April 23, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said.

In its monthly astronomical diary, Pagasa said the Lyrids meteor shower would peak during that period with an average of 10 to 15 meteors per hour under a clear sky.

Pagasa said observation of the meteors is most favorable after midnight when the constellation Lyra, the showers’ radiant, is already more than 30 degrees above the northeast horizon.

It said the Lyrids meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years.

“Chinese records say ‘stars fell like rain’ in the shower of 687 B.C,” it said.

However, Pagasa said that in recent times, the Lyrids have generally been weak, with a brief maximum that lasts for less than a day.

Pagasa said the Lyrids are the oldest known meteor shower.

The meteors are bits of debris shed by a comet called Thatcher. They hit the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up, producing glowing streaks.

Observers in the Northern Hemisphere, where the Philippines is located, will have the best view, although the Lyrids will also be visible in the Southern Hemisphere, Pagasa said.     – Helen Flores