Did you ever sit at your
window as a child and marvel at “shooting stars” as they streaked across the
night sky? Those were actually meteors passing across Earth’s atmosphere.
Sometimes, Earth passes through fields of debris in space that cause regular, predicted
“showers” of meteors. In April, we have one such shower: the Lyrids.
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| (NASA/MSFC/Danielle Moser) |
Named after the constellation
Lyra, the harp (the meteors’ apparent radiant point, or origin), the meteor
shower is caused by detritus left in the wake of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.
Comets have a nasty habit of leaving trails of dust and ice behind them as
they course through the sky. When Earth passes through the trails, the debris
scrapes across the top of our atmosphere, glowing with the energy from the
friction that is generated.
This year, the Lyrids meteor
shower will take place next Saturday evening, on the night of April 21-22. You
can expect to see meteors from about 11:00pm until 5:00am. The Lyrids are always
very predictable, averaging about 15 meteors per hour. Peak hours could
generate as many as 10-100 meteors per hour, though, according to NASA.
The moon will also be
cooperating with us this year to offer the best show possible. Luna will be in
her new phase around the 21st of April, so the skies will be much darker,
making it easier to spot the tiny, brief streaks of light.
Do not be worried about where
in the world you are at the time, either. As long as you are not surrounded by
bright city lights and light pollution, you should be able to see the shower
from anywhere in the world.
Read more at NASA.
I'm so excited to watch the shower!
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