Lyrids Meteor Shower 2022 Manchester: when is it, what time can I see shooting stars and weather forecast

One of oldest meteor showers, the Lyrids meteor shower, dating back 2,700 years is nearing its peak.

People of Manchester are crossing their fingers and praying for a clear sky to get the ultimate view of the shower, which has been lighting up the night sky for thousands of years.

With the moonlight this year potentially impeding the view, there is only a small window for people to see the meteor shower at its very best.

When is the Lyrids meteor shower?

Every year, the Lyrids meteor shower begins on 16 April and ends on 25 April, lasting over a week.

It usually peaks around 22 April, where up to as many as 20 meteors can be seen shooting across the sky, which is reportedly a normal rate for the peak of a meteor shower.

When was the most recent meteor shower?

Despite it almost being May, this is only the second meteor shower event of the year, meaning before 16 April we were in somewhat of a drought.

The last meteor shower, ‘Quadrantids’, occurred on 2 January 2022, and only lasted a mere few hours, meaning many actually missed the event as a whole.

Where is the best recommended place to watch a meteor shower?

Some meteor showers can be observed from most places, but it is recommended that you watch the meteor from a garden, or a park, anywhere where low to no light is present.

These are considered the best places to observe meteor showers because the light pollution is extremely low, meaning the only real source of light is the meteors themselves.

Some parks in Manchester may be open to the public after the sunset, and providing they have no street lights nearby, or you can get far enough into the park where they are far away, they are the best places to watch.

What is the best time to watch a shooting star?

According to the popular weather website Accuweather, the moonlight this year may cause some problems, which leaves a fairly tiny window in which you can watch the meteor shower at its very best.

The moonrise is expected to happen at around 2am, which means the best time to watch the meteors and get a glimpse of a very rare shooting star is anywhere between midnight and 2am on Friday morning.

The meteor shower will still be visible after 2am, but it may be harder to spot some of the more dimmer meteors due to the moon.

What is the weather report for tonight and Friday morning?

Despite the weather having little to no bearing on the actual event, some weather conditions can actually enhance or diminish your viewing experience.

The best kind of weather to observe a meteor shower is a clear sky, so nothing is in the way of the night sky.

Today (21 April) has seen good, clear weather today and the good news is that good weather will carry on post the 8pm sunset.

As the sky descends into darkness, the night sky will remain clear until around 2am (moonrise) when some clouds interrupt the clear night sky, meaning that small window between 12am and 2am is a clear sky, allowing a great view of the meteor shower.

At around 4am, the sky does begin to get cloudy and coupled with the moon, it may seriously impede any view you have of meteors, which by this time should just be over their peak.