On the morning of Monday, April 22, the first good meteor shower in nearly four months peaked: the annual Lyrid meteor shower.
Unfortunately, 2024 is not a good year to look for these “shooting stars.” Just one day before the full moon, the bright waxing gibbous moon will present a major obstacle.
The Moon, located about 10 degrees west (right) of the bright blue star Spica in the constellation Virgo, will be in the sky for much of the night of April 21-22, likely obscuring all but the Moon. out of everyone’s sight.
related: Lyrid meteor shower 2024: when, where and how to see it
We should also stress that this is not a rich display, and certainly not comparable to December’s Geminids or August’s Perseids. Under dark, clear skies, the number of meteors observed by a single observer looking into the sky typically ranges from 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
But many of these meteors tend to be bright and move quite quickly, traveling through the Earth’s atmosphere at an average speed of 30 miles (48 kilometers) per second. About a quarter of the people left the train, which kept running. Over the course of a day, approximately 5 to 10 Lyrids can be seen per hour on a good day.
The Lyrid meteor shower is actually the legacy of a long-dead Comet Thatcher. This moderately bright comet was discovered in April 1861 by AE Thatcher, an amateur astronomer in New York.
The Lyrid meteor shower’s orbit is very similar to that of Comet Thatcher, which has an orbital period of about 415 years. They are cosmic junk; tiny fragments left behind by this comet from its previous visits to the sun. Every year around April 22, the orbit of the Earth and the comet almost overlap. As we pass through this part of the orbit, we rush through the dust debris left behind by the comet.
We call these meteors the “Lyrids” because their paths, if extended backwards, appear to diverge from a point not far south and west of Vega, the bright blue-white star in the constellation Lyra, or the Harp.
Vega does not begin to appear until it rises above the northeastern horizon around 9 pm local daylight saving time. By 4 a.m. it will be two-thirds above the horizon and directly overhead.
To avoid neck or shoulder strain, we recommend lying on a long chaise longue where you can enjoy the vast sky views. Dress warmly, too, because although it won’t be as cold as winter nights, April nights can still be chilly.
read more: Here’s how to watch comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, the brightest comet of the week (Video)
An oldie, but (sometimes) a goodie
Of all meteor showers, the Lyrids are the oldest known, first recorded by the Chinese in 687 BC when “many stars came flying from the northeast.”
There are other noteworthy Lyrid meteor shower records, such as in 15 BC (China), 1136 (Korea), and 1803, when many town residents in Richmond, Virginia, were awakened from their beds by fire alarms and witnessed what appeared to be meteors coming from all over the place. The falling meteors in the sky were like a torrential rain. In 1922, the Lyrids surprised observers with a rate of 96 meteors per hour, and in 1982, the Lyrids surprised observers with a rate of 80 meteors per hour.
So, the bottom line is that while the Lyrids are indeed a weak display, they also have a history of surprising observers, so it’s always worth a look.
Joe Rao serves as a lecturer and guest lecturer at New York University Hayden Planetarium.He writes articles for astronomy journal of natural historythis farmers almanac and other publications.
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Image Source : www.space.com