Some lucky Australians witnessed a meteor shower lighting up skies across the country’s east last night.
Parts of south-east Queensland and regional New South Wales were treated to a spectacular display during the annual Lyrid meteor shower.
The annual celestial event peaked yesterday on April 21 and the meteorites made an astonishing appearance right on time – with some describing them as green and blue flashes in the sky.
Shocked drivers captured the meteors quickly streaking across the sky on dashcam footage, while others were poised ready to film it with professional cameras.
Several witnesses also reported their homes shaking and hearing large booms during the astronomical shower.
One person took to social media to claim their sister’s home in Tenterfield in regional NSW “shook” as the meteors travelled through the horizon.
“My wife saw a massive flash, thought it was lighting,” another said.
A few of the clearest displays were also captured in Bundaberg in Queensland and Glen Innes in regional NSW.
The Lyrid meteor shower was fuelled by debris from Comet Thatcher’s trail, making it an especially bright display.
As our planet passed through this trail, small particles from the comet disintegrated upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere at up to 47km/s.
The Lyrids occur annually in mid-to-late April, typically becoming active around April 17 to April 26.
In Australia, the peak viewing time is usually April 21 to April 22, with anywhere between 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
