Lyrid meteor shower: what to know
In late April, Northern Hemisphere skywatchers will get a view of the 2018 Lyrid meteor shower. Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s stellar spectacle.
The annual Lyrid meteor shower will illuminate the night sky this week, peaking in the early morning hours on Thursday.
Although the first months of the year have been quiet since the Quadrantid meteor shower in January, the Lyrids are a welcome sight to observers hoping for a celestial spectacle.
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While the shooting stars can appear anywhere in the sky, curious stargazers can look at the eponymous constellation Lyra – the harp – as a reference, as Lyrid meteors appear to radiate from close by the bright star Vega, EarthSky reported Tuesday.
The American Meteor Society shows that the moon will be about 68% full on Thursday, which may affect visibility.
A meteor traverses the sky illuminated under the stars on a clear night on April 21, 2020 in London, England. Multiple 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 disabling factor, and experts advise viewers to try and find an unobstructed view.
According to NASA, one of the oldest known meteor showers, Lyrids have been witnessing for 2,700 years.
The agency notes that they are recognizable by their fast and bright meteors and can produce a burst of as many as 100 meteors per hour.
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In general, 10 to 20 Lyrid meteors per hour can be observed during their peak, traveling at a speed of 30 miles per second, and NASA notes that Lyrids often leave glowing dust trains behind as they blast through Earth’s atmosphere.
The source of the rain is Comet Thatcher (C / 1861 G1), which was discovered by astronomer AE Thatcher on April 5, 1861.
As Earth crosses Thatcher’s orbit, it passes a trail of debris and is bombarded with comet debris for two weeks.
Thatcher was last seen in the 19th century and will not return until the year 2276, according to Insider.
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After the Lyrids pass, there are 11 more meteor showers to watch this year.
The Lyrids will overlap with the Eta Aquarids meteor shower that NASA says will peak in early May.