What time is the meteor shower tonight? When to watch the Lyrid meteors from the UK and how to see them

The Lyrid meteor shower lights up the skies over the UK every April, and is set to peak on Friday and Saturday night.

It is caused by Earth’s orbit crossing paths with the debris trail left by the comet Thatcher.

Here are all the tips you need for seeing it.

When is the Lyrid meteor shower?

This year’s shower begun on 14 April, and will continue until 30 April.

It peaks on the nights of 22 and 23 April.

What are the Lyrids?

The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers, with records dating back 2,700 years. The ancient Chinese are said to have watched Lyrid meteors falling “like rain” in the year 687 BC.

The Lyrids are caused by the interaction of the Earth’s atmosphere with the dust trail left by the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.

When particles of debris enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, producing a trail of light across the sky.

Thatcher only orbits the sun every 415 years, but occasionally, specific planetary arrangements can steer the dust trail into Earth’s path, intensifying the shower.

When is the best time to see the meteors?

The best time to see the Lyrids will be in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Royal Museums Greenwich says: “The best time to see the shower generally is in the early morning of the peak day. Wait until after midnight when the radiant point, in the constellation of Lyra, will have risen in the east.

“The later in the morning you wait, the higher the radiant will rise and the fewer meteors will be hidden below the horizon. But the closer you get to sunrise the brighter the sky is going to become, so plan accordingly!”

What is the best way to see them?

You don’t need a telescope or even binoculars to see the meteor shower, you can catch it with the naked eye.

The meteors all appear to originate from the constellation of Lyra – hence the name Lyrid – which contains the star Vega. You can find where Vega is in the sky by using a stargazing app.

However, you do not need to seek out this star to see the meteors, as they will be visible across the sky.

As Royal Museums Greenwich explain: “In reality the meteors have nothing to do with this distant group of stars. The direction they appear to come from is dictated by the motion of the Earth and the debris itself.”

The best thing to do is go outside and spend 15-20 minutes letting your eyes adjust to the darkness, and then look up, ideally in an area that is not very built up, like a field or a park, so you have a wide field of vision.

You should be able to see bright, fast meteors, some with trains, at a frequency of around 18 per hour.