Astrophotographer captures stunning ‘Lyrid meteor shower’ over Scotland

An astrophotographer named Josh Dury captured a beautiful image of the Lyrid meteor shower shining across the night sky above Scotland’s Isle of Sky. The photo shows bright meteors moving beside the milky way, creating a magical view over the famous ‘Three Brothers of Sky’ waterfalls.

Photographer Josh Dury described the moment as ‘nothing short of magical’. He said that he sat near a flowing river for hours while his camera captured the sky during the annual meteor shower.

The composite image shows several Lyrid meteors streaking across the sky. The Lyrid meteor shower is one of the oldest recorded meteor showers and has been seen for more than 2,700 years.

It happens every April when Earth passes through dust and debris left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher (comet discovered in April 1861). As the particles enter earth’s atmosphere, they burn and create bright ‘shooting stars’.

This year, the meteor shower reached its peak on April 21 and 22. People in the Northern Hemisphere could see up to 20 meteors every hour under dark sky. The photograph also captured famous stars in the night sky ‘Vega’ (Lyra), while ‘Altair (Aquila) and Deneb (Cygnus)’ were also visible. Together, these stars form the well known Summer Triangle.

While sharing the image on Instagram, Dury also spoke about the growing number of satellites affecting views of the night sky. He said the increasing satellite activity worries many astrophotographers and makes him wonder how long people will be able to enjoy the natural beauty of space clearly.

Astronomers say the Lyrid meteor shower is known for producing fast and bright meteors. Some meteors can leave glowing dust trails in the sky that remain visible for several seconds. The shower is best viewed from places far away from city lights, where the sky is darker and clearer.