
Mark your calendars!
The annual Lyrids and π-Puppids meteor showers will be visible in the country this month, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its April astronomical diary.
Lyrids meteor shower will be observable from April 16 to 25 and is expected to reach its peak on April 22.
“The meteor shower can be observed when Hercules, the meteor shower’s radiant rises at around 9:17 p.m. nightly and remains active until around 5:14 a.m. of the following day,” PAGASA said.
It added that the radiant is highest in the sky at around 4 a.m.
“Thus, the shower will produce the best display shortly before dawn, with up to 18 observable meteors per hour. The value mentioned assumes that the observer is in a clear, dark, moonless sky condition, and the radiant is highest in the sky,” PAGASA pointed out.
Unfortunately, PAGASA said the waning gibbous moon in Sagittarius presents a significant interference with the meteor shower observation throughout the night.
Meanwhile, the π-Puppids will be active from April 15 to 28, with an expected peak of activity on April 24, having Puppis as its radiant, PAGASA said.
The view of the meteor shower can be observed after sunset until the shower’s radiant sinks towards the horizon around 10:09 p.m.
PAGASA said meteor showers are observable through the naked eyes, and no special equipment such as telescopes or binoculars is needed.
“Maximize the viewing experience by choosing a dark observation site away from the city lights under clear and moonless sky conditions,” it added.