Falling stars, it remains a wonderful phenomenon. Over the next few nights, you’ll have a greater chance of seeing them, as the Lyrid meteor shower passes through Earth. But how do you see them better now? We give you five tips so that you can successfully spot the falling stars.
At night from Friday to Saturday you have the best chance of seeing them, but also on the night before and after there are more meteors than usual. The first condition is that the weather is clear.
They don’t fall from the sky in large numbers, says Orian Borinck of the Halley Observatory in Finkel. “You can see very nice specimens, at the peak there are about twenty per hour. This is not so massive. So it is better to watch them from your own garden, because you have to be patient.”
You should also set an alarm, because the peak is at night from Friday to Saturday between three and four thirty.
The effect of light leads to a “shooting star”
But how does such a meteor shower lead to a meteor? This swarm, called Lyrids, passes through Earth and is made up of chunks of space rock.
Once this stone enters our atmosphere, friction with the air is created. Because of this friction and the high temperature that is released, you get a light path, which we see on Earth as a rising star (also called a meteor).
The biggest fireballs
So it will not be a swarm with a large number of shooting stars in the coming days, but according to Wilfried Janssen of Weerplaza, each swarm has its own characteristics.
This swarm of Lyrids may contain larger pieces of debris that can show a bright light. “If the pieces of rubble are larger, there is a chance that it will be amazing. Because then bigger fireballs are created.”
Five tips for successfully spotting falling stars
- Find a dark place, with no lampposts or other artificial lighting nearby. So out of town and out of urban areas.
- Choose an area, such as a wide meadow. So that trees or buildings do not obstruct your view. You should be able to see far away.
- Get out on time and make sure your eyes get used to the dark. Because that way you can see the stars better. Leave your mobile phone at home, because with this light your eyes will never get used to the dark (and taking pictures with your phone is not very successful with shooting stars).
- Make sure you have a good chair to lean on or put a stretcher in the garden. Then you will not get a stiff neck while searching for a shooting star. Something nice and warm to drink with, makes the adventure more fun.
- Wear something warm. Because even if it’s not cold, if you stare for a while, that changes quickly.
Can you take a beautiful photo of the shooting star with your photo camera in the coming days? We would love to see your photos! Mail it to Omroep Brabant.
