An annual occurrence, the Lyrid meteor shower will peak over Irish skies tonight.
Irish skies are set to be lit up by the arrival of the Lyrid meteor shower tonight. Coinciding with the new moon, skies will be especially dark tonight - making the meteor all the clearer.
Beginning on April 16th, the Lyrid meteor shower will extend to April 25th with it peaking tonight... so, add stargazing to the night's agenda.
What is a meteor shower though?
A celestial event, meteor showers see a number of meteors or shooting stars, flash across the sky originating from the one point. Caused by streams of cosmic debris, though they may look big most meteors are actually smaller than a grain of sand.
Named after the Lyra space constellation, the Lyrid meteor shower is an annual occurrence and up to 18 meteors an hour are expected to whizz across skies tonight.
Easiest to see in areas away from light pollution, anyone hoping to catch a glimpse should make sure all the lights are turned off before heading outside. No need for fancy equipment though - lying on the ground with your eyes firmly on the sky will do the trick.
As for the best time to look skyward? Better set your alarms as the meteor shower will peak between midnight and dawn (just after 5am early Wednesday morning).
Who needs sleep anyway?!
