See it: Lyrid meteor shower peaks in dazzling worldwide display
NEW YORK – Stargazers across the globe were treated to a dazzling display of shooting stars Monday night as the annual Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak.
The luminous Lyrids painted the U.S. skies in the early Tuesday hours for observers in the U.s., offering a spectacular celestial show in Redwood City, California.
The Lyrids originate from the dusty trail left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. This long-period comet, discovered by astronomer A.E. Thatcher in 1861, takes an estimated 415 years to complete a single orbit around the Sun and hasn't been seen in our inner solar system since. As Earth passes through this stream of debris each April, the tiny particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating the streaks of light we know as meteors.
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While an average meteor shower typically produces 10 to 20 meteors per hour, the Lyrids occasionally surprise with bursts of up to 100 meteors per hour.
This year's display did not disappoint many observers, who reported seeing numerous bright streaks illuminating the night sky as seen here in Ankara, Turkey's cosmopolitan capital in the country's central Anatolia region.
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If this celestial show disappointed you or if cloud cover got in the way, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower in early May will offer another chance to see shooting stars. The Eta Aquarids peak May 3-4, according to NASA.
Click here to see your complete guide to all this year's celestial events, featuring more full Moons, eclipses and Supermoons.Original article source: See it: Lyrid meteor shower peaks in dazzling worldwide display
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