Amateur stargazers and professional astronomers alike were given a special treat yesterday night, as the Lyrid meteor shower made its awesome return.
During this annual phenomenon up to 20 shooting stars are normally visible in the span of sixty minutes, but depending on the intensity of the cosmic event and the degree of light pollution, the number can shoot up to a 100 sightings per hour. The spectacle is best observed in the Northern Hemisphere, and it’s among the strongest of its kind.
Observatories and astronomic societies all around the world have long prepared for the Lyrids, which will reach their dazzling peak tonight in the predawn hours. But this year the stars have aligned even for amateur photographers, who have had a chance to capture the meteor shower thanks to clear skies (at least in the United Kingdom) and a favourable lunar phase.
