WASHINGTON – The Lyrid meteor shower is underway. However, because the moon is sort of full within the sky throughout the peak, it could be difficult to see clearly.
The Lyrids occur in mid to late April yearly. Peak activity this yr will occur Sunday through Monday, with 10 to twenty meteors expected per hour. The viewing lasts until April twenty ninth.
Here's what it’s best to know in regards to the Lyrids and other meteor showers.
What is a meteor shower?
Several meteor showers occur annually, and also you don't need any special equipment to look at them.
Most meteor showers arise from comet debris. The source of the Lyrids is Comet Thatcher.
When rocks enter Earth's atmosphere from space, they turn into highly regarded as a result of air resistance. This causes the air around them to glow and briefly leaves a fiery tail – the top of a “shooting star”.
The glowing pockets of air around fast-moving space rocks, ranging in size from a dust particle to a boulder, might be visible within the night sky.
How to look at a meteor shower
It's easier to see shooting stars under dark skies, away from city lights. Meteor showers also appear brightest on cloudless nights when the moon is least waning.
“Look northeast and always stare at the same spot in the sky” to see the Lyrids, said astronomer Don Pollacco of the University of Warwick. “It’s always impressive when you see these things.”
The clearest view of the Lyrids is within the northern hemisphere, although moonlight is claimed to obstruct the view American Meteor Society.
Under ideal conditions, “the meteors often appear very bright with bluish trails, and often the trails appear to hang in the sky for a few seconds,” Pollacco said.
When is the following meteor shower coming?
The Meteor Society maintains an updated list of upcoming major meteor showerincluding peak viewing days and moonlight conditions.
The Eta Aquarids meteor shower peaks in early May and offers the most effective viewing within the Southern Hemisphere. The shower is attributable to debris from Halley's Comet.
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