Meteor shower Lyrid: What to know
At the end of April, observers in the northern hemisphere sky will have a view of the meteor shower in Lyrid in 2018. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s starry spectacle.
The annual Lyrid meteor shower will light up the night sky this week, with its peak in the early hours of Thursday.
While the first months of the year have been quiet from the January Quadrantid meteor shower, Lyrids are a welcome sight for observers hoping for a heavenly spectacle.
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Although shooting stars can appear anywhere in the sky, curious stars can look to the eponymous constellation of the Lyra meteor – the harp – as a reference, as Lyrid meteors appear to radiate near the bright star Vega, EarthSky reported on Tuesday.
The American Meteor Society shows that the moon will be around 68% full on Thursday, possibly affecting visibility.
A meteor crosses the starry sky under a starry night on April 21, 2020, in London, England. Several exposures were combined in the camera to produce this image. (Photo by Simon Robling / Getty Images)
(Simon Robling / Getty Images)
Light pollution will also be a potentially debilitating factor, and experts advise viewers to try to find an unobstructed image.
One of the oldest known meteor showers, Lyrids have witnessed 2,700 years, according to NASA.
The agency notes that they are known for their fast and bright meteors and can produce an explosion of up to 100 meteors per hour.
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In general, between 10 and 20 Lyrid meteors can be observed per hour during their peak, traveling at a speed of 30 miles per second, and NASA notes that Lyrids often leave behind trains of bright dust as they burn through the atmosphere. Earth.
The source of the shower is Comet Thatcher (C / 1861 G1), which was discovered on April 5, 1861, by astronomer AE Thatcher.
As the Earth traverses Thatcher’s orbital path, it passes through a trail of debris and is bombarded with comet bedding for two weeks.
Thatcher was last seen in the 19th century and is not expected to return until 2276, according to Insider.
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After the Lyrids pass, there are 11 more meteor showers to watch for this year.
The lilies will overlap with the Eta Aquarids meteor shower, which NASA says will reach its peak in early May.