Northern Hemisphere stargazers are in for a treat starting next week as one of the oldest known meteor showers, Lyrids, is set to begin. However, they will need to dodge unfavourable weather conditions and excessive artificial light for an ideal view.
The Lyrids meteor shower has been a yearly spectacle for about 2,700 years. It’s known as the oldest meteor shower, with the earliest sightings traced back to 687 B.C. by Chinese stargazers.
This year the Lyrids will take place from April 15 to April 29, with its peak predicted to be on April 22 at 9:23 UTC (5:23am ET) according to EarthSky. During this peak, if conditions are ideal, viewers may be able to witness up to 10 to 15 meteors an hour. There have even been some occasions where up to 100 meteors were visible per hour.
However, the next full moon on April 23 might affect visibility. The waxing gibbous moon’s extra light can drown out many faint meteors. For viewers in the Southern Hemisphere, they might just catch a few Lyrid meteors due to their location.
What exactly are the Lyrids? A meteor or shooting star is basically a piece of rock or dust in space that burns up quickly as it collides with the Earth’s atmosphere at high speeds. These leave a streak of light in the night sky, creating the meteor shower. Specifically, the Lyrids are caused by debris originating from Comet Thatcher, discovered in 1861.
The meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Lyra, where the meteors appear to sprout from. This is, however, an optical illusion. Lyra is relatively easy to locate on a clear night. It is home to Vega, a star with notable brightness.
Stargazers can definitely use some celestial distraction during these times, and a meteor shower like the Lyrids might just be the perfect escape.
Vocabulary List:
- Stargazers (noun): People who observe celestial bodies such as starsplanetsand galaxies.
- Meteor (noun): A small body of matter from outer space that enters the Earth atmosphereproducing a streak of light.
- Shower (noun): A display of meteors that appear to originate from a single point in the sky.
- Debris (noun): Scattered fragments or wreckage.
- Spectacle (noun): An impressive or striking performance or display.
- Constellation (noun): A group of stars forming a recognizable pattern.
