The Dutch weather over the past few weeks has left much to be desired, but the coming days will brighten up what has been a pretty dreary April. The Lyrid meteor shower is on its way to the Netherlands this week - here’s what you need to know.
One of the highlights of the astronomy calendar is always the Lyrid meteor shower, which lights up the sky for around 10 nights every April and can be seen from all around the world. At its peak, the Lyrids produce between 10 and 15 meteors per hour!
The Lyrids are known as one of the oldest meteor showers, with records going back almost 3.000 years - the Chinese recorded witnessing the shower all the way back in 687 B.C. The source of the shower is comet Thatcher, as Earth crosses its orbital path every April.
This year, the shower should be visible from April 15, picking up steam from April 19 and reaching its peak next week on April 22 and 23. Typically, the best time to watch the Lyrids is between midnight and dawn.
The weather will have to play ball if you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of the breathtaking show - plus this year the Lyrids will have to compete against a fairly bright, nearly full moon which means it isn’t likely to be a year that will go down in history. But no matter where you are in the world, this is a spectacle that you’ll be able to enjoy without any special equipment - great for any star-gazing novices out there!