The summer meteor shower season officially kicks off next week with the Lyrids. If you are super anxious for a meteor shower after 4 months of nothing, you might want to give this one a shot. I say this because the Moon will be up which means less meteors… you might actually want to wait a couple weeks for the less prolific Eta Aquarids which will have no Moon. But just in case you are up for the star gazing challenge, let me outline all the details on how to watch.
WHEN is it?
The meteor shower technically lasts until April 25th, but the peak of the Lyrids is the morning of April 23rd. Unfortunately, this year the Moon will be smack dab on top of the radiant point when the constellation is highest in the sky. This means that the Moon will probably be washing out meteors and it will be hard to avoid. The constellation itself will be highest in the sky before dawn, at around 5 am which is the best time to try to watch the shower…. if it weren’t for that pesky moon. Instead, you could try to watch the shower closer to 1am but it will be much lower in the sky which means much less meteors.
WHERE should you look?
If you can tell by the name, the constellation these are close to is Lyra. Lyra is a small constellation and host to the very bright star Vega. If you aren’t that familiar with the sky, don’t worry; you can use an app (like the one I suggested). Search for Vega or the entire constellation and use the app to figure out where the constellation is at that moment. You can even figure out when it rises and sets. If you use the app I do, make sure you turn on sky object trajectories and use that as a guide for where the star (or constellation) will be and at what time. It should be on automatically, but in case it is not, it is the button on the upper right of the settings (as shown on the right). Also remember that it is always a good idea not to stare at the exact same constellation all night. Let your eyes wander; it isn’t an exact science of where you will see the meteor. Sometimes it is helpful to keep your eyes active by looking somewhere else and coming back.
WHAT are the meteors made of?
The Lyrids are made of the bits of dust and debris left behind by Comet Thatcher. Comet Thatcher takes 415 years to orbit the Sun and isn’t expected to come by us until about 2280. The last time it swung by Earth was in 1861. That means the bits you see burn up this April have been there at least for 155 years! To where those pieces are in space check this out which gives you an outside look at our solar system, in particular highlighting the Lyrids material and how it collides with Earth’s orbit (the inner blue circle is Earth).
Happy Observing!!
NEXT ON THE LINEUP: Eta Aquarids May 5th
