I hope you all are staying safe and social distancing. For those of you who are able to go outside, I have a treat for you. The Lyrids peak this week! The Lyrid shower is not the most bountiful of showers but it is the first meteor shower in months so those of us desperate for some shooting stars tend to give it a shot (I saw my first fireball in this shower). So grab your coffee and head to the darkest corners of your neighborhood, let’s go spot some shooting stars!
WHEN is it?
The meteor shower technically lasts until April 25th, but the peak of the Lyrids is the morning of April 22nd. If you are aching to get out they do start to pick up steam on Sunday the 19th. The good news this year is that the 22nd is a New Moon which means you will not have to worry about that pesky Moon blocking out meteors. The shower is visible once the constellation Lyra rises which is about 11pm but it is best to see when the constellation is highest in the sky which is in the early morning. I have had luck in the past going out at like 12 and 1 am but the constellation is low in the sky so you should be sure to look in its direction.
WHERE should you look?
If you can tell by the name, the constellation these are close to is Lyra. Lyra is a small constellation and host to the very bright star Vega. If you aren’t that familiar with the sky, don’t worry; you can use an app (like the one I suggested). Search for Vega or the entire constellation and use the app to figure out where the constellation is at that moment. You can even figure out when it rises and sets. If you use the app I do, make sure you turn on sky object trajectories and use that as a guide for where the star (or constellation) will be and at what time. It should be on automatically, but in case it is not, it is the button on the upper right of the settings (as shown on the right). Also remember that it is always a good idea not to stare at the exact same constellation all night. Let your eyes wander; it isn’t an exact science of where you will see the meteor. Sometimes it is helpful to keep your eyes active by looking somewhere else and coming back.
WHAT are the meteors made of?
The Lyrids are made of the bits of dust and debris left behind by Comet Thatcher. Comet Thatcher takes 415 years to orbit the Sun and isn’t expected to come by us until about 2280. The last time it swung by Earth was in 1861. That means the bits you see burn up this April have been there at least for 155 years! To where those pieces are in space check this out which gives you an outside look at our solar system, in particular highlighting the Lyrids material and how it collides with Earth’s orbit (the inner blue circle is Earth).
Happy Observing!
The above weather report is broken down by hour on the 24 hour clock with green meaning good visibility and red meaning poor visibility. For full details in what goes into each report you can click the widget to be taken to the website. (Also, visit the click the widget to update your location in you are not in NY.)
