Philadelphia – The Lyrid meteor shower will illuminate the skyline of Philadelphia tonight. However, to get the best view the people will have to wait until dawn on Thursday. The Lyrid meteor shower occurs every year in the second half of the month of April and is easily visible when the skies are clear. Cloudy weather or dip in temperature during midnight is expected that can disturb the visibility of the showers.
On an average, you can see 10 to 20 meteors in every hour. However, if you are lucky you can get to see a burst of 100 meteors at one time. The meteor shower occurs every year when the Earth passes through the dust stream coming of the comet Thatcher. The meteors are especially visible during the midnight in the northeastern sky and occur near the brightest star, Vega.
Are the Lyrid Meteors Noisy?
Citizens in the southeastern Fairfax and Prince William County have reported loud booming noise on the night of Wednesday. Many people wondered whether this was because of the springtime annual meteor shower. Two heavy booming sounds were heard at 9 pm in the areas from Fairfax Station to Manassas and from Dale City to Hoadly.
The police dispatch from Prince William County received calls complaining about noise; however, they thought the boom to be coming from thunder. Contrarily, the National Weather Service office said there were no storms on Wednesday in Sterling. Similarly, the U.S Geological Survey ruled out any chances of an earthquake in these regions. It has made everyone wonder as to what might be causing the booming noise during the night.
According to NASA, meteor showers are not noisy; at times, certain extremely bright fireballs may lead to a sonic boom.
Best Place To Watch Meteor Shower
Clear skies are the first requirement if you want to enjoy the firecrackers of Lyrid meteor showers. So, make sure that you have a clear view of the sky from where you are standing. Bright street lights in urban areas can cause disturbance. Hence, if you are in Philadelphia, the best place to watch the meteor shower will be an open place located in the northeast direction.
