The peak will happen between April 22 and 23…

If you’re a keen astronomer, or you just love to take in the wonder of the night sky, now is a good time to start observing. The annual Lyrids meteor shower is coming up, likely to happen between April 16 and 25 and residents in the UAE will be able to witness it.

However the peak meteor shower is expected on the evening of April 22, so that’s the perfect time to head out of the city lights and cast your eyes to the skies. We recommend heading out into the desert for a prime view (weather depending).

The Lyrids (named after the Lyra constellation) are one of the oldest meteor showers known, first seen over 2,500 years ago. Lyrids are pieces of space debris that originate from the comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. The comet is expected to be seen from Earth again in 2276.

If you can’t make it out to witness the annual miracle, a handy live stream has been scheduled to deliver the mesmerising action on YouTube. Lowell Observatory will be using ‘the All-Sky Camera at the Lowell Discovery Telescope to hunt for meteors’ hosted by Research Assistant Megan Gialluca.

The only thing that might inhibit stargazers from getting the perfect view, is the bright nearly full moon expected to be shining on the same night. Either way, a night under the stars sounds like the perfect way to spend an evening to us.

At its peak, Lyrids up to 18 meteors per hour will shoot across the skies in the late hours of Thursday April 22 to the early hours of Friday April 23, until sunrise.

Image: Getty