1、Click Here for Support with using Interactive PDFsIf youre a fan of all things celestial then stay awake,look up and get ready to enjoy the show.The Lyrid meteor shower takes place in April and is one of the best opportunities to spot shooting stars.The annual event is the second major meteor shower
2、 of the year visible from the UK.This year,youll be able to catch a glimpse of the Lyrids from 14th-30th April.However,the shower will reach its peak on the night of the 22nd.This is when there are the most meteors to spot.Dont worry if the weather isnt great where you are on that night,though.This
3、month,the Moon is at its fullest,and therefore brightest,on 16th April.A bright Moon makes it harder to spot meteors.As the month progresses,the nights will get darker and darker as the Moon wanes.Therefore,if you cant spot any shooting stars on the 22nd,darker skies later in the month might give yo
4、u other good opportunities to see the Lyrid fireballs.The Lyrid meteor shower appears in our sky as the Earth passes through the path of a comet called C/1861 G1 Thatcher.Little bits fall off the comet as it makes its long journey around the Sun.Then,at this time each year,the Earth collides with th
5、ese tiny particles.They burn up in our atmosphere and create the meteor shower.It is called the Lyrid meteor shower because it sort of looks like the meteors are coming from a constellation called Lyra.Daily News Science World News 14th April 2022Glossarycomet Balls of dust,rock and ice that orbit t
6、he sun.celestialThings in space or the sky.wanesShowing a smaller area of brightness each day;slowly getting less and less.constellationA group of stars forming a pattern in the sky.Photo:Shooting stars.Why is it called comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher?Its a comet that was discovered on 5th April 1861 by A.
7、E.Thatcher.The C in the name means its a long period comet-it takes longer than 200 years to orbit the Sun.The G means it was spotted in the first half of April and the 1 means it was the first comet spotted that month.Lyrid Meteor Showervisit Questions1.On what date is there a full Moon this month?
8、2.Give the meaning of the word visible as it is used in this sentence:The annual event is the second major meteor shower of the year visible from the UK.3.Look at the sentence beginning:The Lyrid meteor shower takes place Which of the following words could not be used as a synonym for opportunities?
9、(tick one)moments chances times unlikely4.Tick to show whether the statement is a fact or an opinion.FactOpinionThe Lyrids are the best meteor shower of the year.Watching meteor showers is boring.Tiny bits of a comet cause the Lyrid meteor showerApril is the best month for stargazing.5.Which of thes
10、e facts about the Lyrid Meteor shower cant be found in the article?(tick one)They get their name from a constellation known as Lyra.The meteors seen in the Lyrids are caused by a comet called C/1861 G1 Thatcher.The Lyrid meteor shower can be seen from the UK.One of the oldest known meteor showers,th
11、e Lyrids have been observed for over 2700 years.6.Which of the following alternate headlines best summarises the article?(tick one)Lyra Constellation Hard to Spot Scientists Discover Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher Shooting Stars Are Meteors Not Stars Lyrids Will Soon Light Up the SkyLyrid Meteor Showervisit
