The Lyrids are the first recorded meteor shower in human history, dating back 2,500 years in ancient Chinese texts.
The Lyrid meteor shower is named after the constellation Lyra, which is also where the meteors appear to radiate from in the sky. According to the positioning tool on the Time and Date website, the Lyrid meteor shower will peak on the night of April 22 and into the early morning of April 23 in Ho Chi Minh City.
The location of the meteor shower in the sky – (Photo: SKY&TELESCOPE).
This year, it is expected that around 18 meteors will be visible per hour during the peak night. This celestial event began to appear with a weak frequency starting April 14 and is expected to completely fade away after April 30. The peak night usually falls on April 21 or 22, depending on the time zone of each country.
This is a relatively small meteor shower compared to others that occur throughout the year, so you will need to pay attention while observing it. To see the meteors best, allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for 15-20 minutes and choose a clear area for viewing.
The radiant point of the meteor shower is located between the constellation Lyra, which resembles a harp, and Hercules, the hero from Greek mythology.
According to Space, the Lyrid meteor shower originates from Comet Thatcher, discovered by amateur astronomer A.E. Thatcher from New York, USA, in 1861. This comet orbits the Sun every 415 years. Each April, Earth passes through the debris-laden tail of the comet. The dust particles collide with the atmosphere, igniting as meteors.
