It’s a fantastic time to look up and see some astral phenomena without the need for a telescope! There’ll be shooting stars and satellites aplenty tonight (Tuesday 21st April).
The April Lyrid meteor shower – visible from 6th to the 25th of this month – peaks tonight with displays radiating from a point. Numbers vary but you could see an average of between 10-20 meteors – or shooting stars – per hour, with surges of up to 100 having been previously seen at the peak.
Meteors will be visible from any direction and according to Virtual Astro the best time to watch will be from 10pm onwards on Tuesday 21st.
Starlink is a satellite constellation being constructed by Elon Musk’s company SpaceX to provide satellite Internet access. The constellation will consist of thousands of small satellites. A train of 60 of these has been visible over the UK this week and tonight (Tues 21st) will pass overhead from (roughly) west to east at just before 9pm on Tuesday 21st April, with a second, fainter pass visible at around 10.25-10.30pm.
Get comfy in the garden, any outdoor lighting off and look up, letting your eyes get used to the darkness for a few minutes before events!
Tues 21 April events:
- Lyrid meteor shower: Best from 10pm – dawn – and direction
- Starlink satellite train: just before 9pm – fainter pass at around 10.30pm – roughly west to east
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