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Look out for Lyrid meteor shower in UAE skies today

Sharjah - The Dubai Astronomy Group said the Lyrids Meteor Shower is one of oldest known meteor showers.

A meteor shower made from the debris of the comet Thatcher will be visible in UAE skies in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The Dubai Astronomy Group said the Lyrids Meteor Shower is one of oldest known meteor showers.
“Named after constellation Lyra, the Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers. The best day to see the Lyrid meteors will be extremely early in the morning on Sunday, April 22. As with most meteor showers, the peak viewing time will be before dawn. The timing of the Lyrids in 2018 make them an Earth Day meteor shower, with the best observing times being overnight on Saturday and Sunday (April 21 and 22)
“This meteor shower is usually active between April 16 and 25 every year. It tends to peak around April 22.
The Lyrid shower produces 15 to 20 meteors per hour; this year, the meteor shower should hit about 18 per hour. Some years, it intensifies and can produce up to 100 meteors per hour in what’s called an ‘outburst’, but it is difficult to predict exactly when that will happen.
The moon will be really favorable for viewers this year, as it will set by the time the Lyrid radiant is high in the sky. The moon will be around first quarter, so the moon will have set by the time the show gets fired up after midnight,” a spokesperson from the Dubai Astronomy Group said.
“While people in the Northern Hemisphere are best located to view the Lyrids, those in the mid-Southern Hemisphere latitudes can also see the shower between midnight and dawn. The best time to see the “shooting stars” from the Lyrids is after nightfall and before dawn. The Lyrids are created by debris from comet Thatcher, which takes about 415 years to orbit around the Sun.”
reporters@khaleejtimes.com