Besides a Super Luna and warming the spring air, April comes with news of space rocks. Starting on April 16, the Earth will cross the tail of comet C / 1861 G1 Thatcher, which will see the Lyrid meteor shower creeping into the night sky. Of course, this is not the same as looking up to witness the approaching moon hovering above us, but rather an exercise in patience, as meteors are far more transient than other celestial phenomena.
Here’s what you need to know about Lyrids and how to see them later this month.
What are Lyrids?
Lyrids gather their name from the constellation Lyra, which is “associated with the myth of the Greek musician and poet Orpheus.” according to the Constellation Guide. The constellation hangs in the northern sky just below the star Vega, which is visible in the summer sky forming an “asterism known as the Summer Triangle”, along with the stars Deneb and Altair, Note Space.com.
Lyrids are a welcome sight for meteor hunters who are hungry for their favorite heavenly views from January to mid-April. But it’seven in April, as the Earth passes through the remnants of Thatcher’s tail C / 1861 G1, the Lyrids pass through the sky.
On EarthSkyLyrids are an annual event that is usually active for about nine days. This year, the peak is expected to take place around or on April 19. Here’s how experts work:
Lyrids are active every year between 16 and 25 April. In 2021, we expect the shower to catch steam starting late in the evening on Monday, April 19, probably reaching the peaks of the predawn on Thursday, April 22. The next morning (April 23) could also be good, if you’re playing.
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In general, meteors will be active between sunset and dawn during this time.
A useful hint: locate the radiant point
The lilies will whet your appetite for meteors, but only just. They are not exactly a frenzy, as they usually only occur in flows of about 10 to 15 per hour. (Sometimes I can overwhelm sky spots in groups of about 100 per hour, but such a view is rar).
One way to make sure you actually catch Lyrids is to locate Vega, the bright star that illuminates the meteor path at the top. According to EarthSky, this is about the moment when the radiant point – in this case, Vega – increases. You can locate Vega if you “look northeast in the evening for a bright, bluish star above the northeastern horizon.” When it comes to people in the northern hemisphere, it’s usually between us and 10 p.m. local hour. If you’re in the southern hemisphere, your chances of catching the show at full brightness depend on how early you get up (or how late you stay up).
As Earth Sky explains:
Because the radiant point of this shower is so far north on the dome of the sky, the star Vega rises only in the hours before dawn, for you. It will be lower in the sky for you than for us, further north, on the globe, when dawn breaks. That’s why you will see fewer Lyrid meteors. However, you may see some!
The same protocol applies when it comes to creating the best conditions for catching meteors. Avoid light pollution, look up to the north, and welcome the first burning space rocks of 2021.