Meteor showers with a Milky Way galaxy in the background.
Manila, Philippines, 24 Rajab 1438/21 April 2017 (MINA) – Starting Saturday, stargazers can observe meteor showers in the sky, Philstar reported, citing the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).
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The showers’ peak will be in progress at 11:45 p.m. tomorrow until predawn of Sunday, PAGASA said yesterday.
The weather station’s Space Science and Astronomy Section said the Lyrids meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years.
The meteor is formed by bits of debris left behind by the repeat passages through the inner solar system of comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1).
Chinese records showed that “stars fell like rain” during the meteor shower of 687 B.C. However, in recent times, the Lyrids have generally been weak.
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The shower typically generates a dozen meteors per hour under optimal conditions, with a brief maximum that lasts for less than a day, PAGASA said.
Considered to be the oldest known meteor shower, Lyrids are named after the constellation Lyra.
“Although not numerous, Lyrids are bright and fast meteors,” PAGASA said.
(T/RS5/RS1)
Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)
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