Lyrid meteor stream to soon light up night sky of Baku PHOTO

A strong Lyrid meteor shower is expected from mid to late April in Baku.

According to the Department of Astrophysics at the Faculty of Physics of Baku State University (BSU), the peak activity of the Lyrid meteor shower will occur on April 22 at 22:04 Baku time, Caliber.Az reports.

During this time, up to 18-20 meteors per hour are expected to be seen.

In Baku, the meteor shower can be observed every evening from the second half of April, starting from 20:18 until morning. On average, around 17 meteors per hour can be seen.

The Lyrid meteor shower is associated with the long-period comet C/1861 G1 ("Thatcher"), discovered in 1861 by amateur astronomer Adalbert Eugene Thatcher. The comet completes an orbit around the Sun every 415 years and releases particles of dust and gas during its journey.

The Lyrid meteor shower is observed every year in April, as Earth passes through this residual stream. These particles burn up in the planet’s atmosphere, creating bright flashes that streak across the sky.

The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers, having been observed for about 2,700 years. The first recorded sighting was made by Chinese astronomers in 687 BC.