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The total solar eclipse has come and gone, but skywatchers have reason to continue to expect that the meteor shower will peak before the full moon rises this week. The bright orb may steal some of the Lyrid meteor shower’s light, but experts have some suggestions on how best to view this celestial spectacle.
The Lyrid meteor shower will be most active Sunday night into early Monday morning, according to the American Meteor Society. The April Full Moon, also known as the Pink Moon, reaches its peak on Tuesday night at 7:49 pm ET.
During the height of the Lyrid meteor shower, observers typically see up to 18 meteors per hour, but this year the satellite’s brightness will interfere with observations of faint meteors. Ashley King, a postdoctoral researcher in planetary science at the Natural History Museum in London, said the shower will be most visible to people in the northern hemisphere. He explained that the Lyrid meteor shower’s radiant, or point of origin for the meteors, does not rise high enough in the southern hemisphere night sky, resulting in high meteor observation rates.
King added that night owls who want to view the Lyrids need to get outside at least 10 to 15 minutes early to let their eyes adjust before trying to spot the meteors. Because meteors can appear throughout the sky, experts don’t recommend using telescopes or binoculars because these devices have a small field of view, according to NASA.
King said the best time to go out (to see shooting stars) is early in the morning before the sun rises. If you can get to a dark spot and possibly get high so you can see a lot of the sky, that’s ideal.
The Lyrids aren’t known for being the fastest or brightest meteors, but this shower can still provide a worthwhile celestial light show, and there’s always the chance of a surprise.
You never know what you’re going to see, King said, and seeing meteors is a really good way to understand what’s going on and see if the solar system is active. In a way, what you’re seeing (by seeing meteors) is some of the oldest material that formed in the solar system.
Everyone around the world will see a pink moon, as Earth’s natural satellite will appear full in a few days.
Despite its name, this full moon looks like any other, said Paul Haine, a planetary scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder. Any full moon may sometimes appear to have a reddish tinge as it approaches the horizon due to the passage of light through the Earth’s atmosphere.
According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the Pink Moon is actually named for its annual appearance shortly after the beginning of spring, much like the pink wildflowers of its namesake, Phlox subulata, bloom in early spring.
Hayne said the full moon is best viewed with binoculars or even with the naked eye, as it may be too bright to view through a telescope.
Our nearest celestial neighbor has played an important role in both human mythology and the evolution of life on Earth. It’s also one of the most beautiful sights in the night sky and can be seen without a telescope, Hayne said in an email. Looking up at the full moon is a great opportunity to remind us of the vastness of space and our connection to the universe.
According to EarthSky, of the 12 full moons in 2024, the lunar events in September and October will be supermoons.
Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally refers to a full moon that is closer to Earth than normal and therefore appears larger and brighter in the night sky. Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the moon is within 90 percent of its closest point to Earth in its orbit.
Here are the remaining full moons in 2024:
May 23: Flower Moon
June 21: Strawberry Moon
July 21: Buck Month
August 19: Sturgeon Month
September 17: Mid-Autumn Festival
October 17: Hunter’s Month
November 15: Beaver Month
December 15: Cold Moon
Sky watchers can still expect a large number of meteor showers this year, according to the American Meteor Society. Here are the dates when meteor events are expected to peak.
Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower: May 4-5
Southern Delta Aquarids Meteor Shower: July 29-30
Alpha Capricorn: July 30-31
Perseid Meteor Shower: August 11-12
Draconid Meteor Shower: October 7-8
Orionid Meteor Shower: October 20-21
Southern Taurids Meteor Shower: November 4-5
Northern Taurids Meteor Shower: November 11-12
Leonid Meteor Shower: November 17-18
Geminid Meteor Shower: December 13-14
Little Bear Calendar: December 21st to 22nd
Solar and lunar eclipses
While the most anticipated solar eclipse event of 2024 is the total solar eclipse on April 8, an annular solar eclipse will occur over South America on October 2. At its farthest point it passes between our planet and the sun, so it can’t completely block the fireball. Instead, an annular solar eclipse creates a ring of fire in the sky as the sun’s rays surround the moon.
At the same time, a partial lunar eclipse will occur in Europe and much of Asia, Africa, North and South America between September 17 and 18. The movement of the Earth’s shadow causes the Earth’s shadow to obscure part of the moon’s surface for those in the path of the eclipse.
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