Lyrid meteor shower to peak over Saudi skies Wednesday night

BURAIDAH — Saudi Arabia’s skies will witness the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower during the late hours of Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday morning, according to the Noor Astronomy Society. With historical records indicating its first observation approximately 2,700 years ago, the Society explained that this meteor is one of the oldest recorded meteor showers and astronomical phenomena. It is further explained that these meteors are active annually because Earth passes through the dust trail left by Comet Thatcher and enters the atmosphere at speeds up to 49 kilometers per second. The head of the association, Issa Al-Ghafeeli, explained that these meteors appear to originate from the constellation Lyra, near the star Vega, one of the brightest stars in the sky. He added that, under ideal conditions, the shower’s rate ranges between 15 and 20 meteors per hour. It produces bright fireballs that leave glowing dust trails visible for several seconds, making it easily visible without a telescope and best seen at open locations far from light pollution. Al-Ghafeeli also said that the coincidence of the peak activity with the absence of the moon will improve the chances of observing the meteors.