Sky show alert: Lyrid meteor shower starts April 16

This weekend, those who find joy in gazing at the sky to spot "shooting stars" can witness the April Lyrids, a dependable and ancient meteor display with historical records dating back 27 centuries. 

Since the Quadrantid meteor shower on January 3, there has been no noteworthy meteor display in almost 16 weeks. 

Nasa meteor expert Peter Jenniskens regards the Lyrid shower as his favourite, as it marks the "swallow of spring" for observers in the northern hemisphere after the low meteor rates in February and March. Along with the Lyrids, there is a slight possibility of seeing stunning fireball meteors from a distinct meteor swarm, although they are more erratic and less predictable than the Lyrids, making them a "wild card" for meteor observers.

During the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower, a solitary observer can spot around 10 to 20 meteors every hour. According to Alastair McBeath, a meteor expert from the UK, the Lyrids are abundant in dim meteors, but a few bright ones can also be seen. 

McBeath mentions that the Lyrids can produce stunningly bright meteors, and approximately 20-25% of them leave behind persistent trains.

How to watch Lyrid meteor shower?

To distinguish a Lyrid meteor from others spotted during the same period, one can examine its trail, which points back to the vicinity of the bright blue-white star, Vega. 

Around 10 pm local time, this star can be observed about 10 degrees above the northeast horizon. As time progresses, it climbs higher in the eastern sky and is positioned halfway up by around 1:30am. 

The radiant, or the point where the Lyrid meteors originate, is located just southwest of Vega, at the intersection of Lyra, Vega's constellation, and the vast constellation of Hercules. 

The Lyrid radiant is at its peak, located right overhead for the southern states and nearby for those at mid-northern latitudes, at approximately 4:30am, around the time when dawn begins to break.