How to see the Lyrids April meteor shower

(CNN) After not specializing Annual meteor showers For months, Lyrids are here to end the drought.

Known as one of the oldest meteor showers on record, the Lyrids are expected to produce 10 to 15 meteors per hour for three nights centered around their peak at 9:06 p.m. ET on Saturday, According to EarthSky.

Lyrids have appeared in the sky ever since April 15 and will remain suspended until April 29, But its peak is relatively narrow compared to the famous summer Perseids and other rains.

The best time to view the Lyrids — with the chance to see the most meteors — will start in the late evening on Saturday into the early morning hours on Sunday.

The good news is that Near the new moon It will leave perfect viewing conditions, with no bright light interference that a full moon would cause.

“The moon will block all but the brightest meteors, so when there’s no lunar interference, you can see all the bright and faint meteorites that show up,” said Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society. “The chance of surprises (with this upcoming shower) is very small, but since we don’t have a moon in the sky and it happens on a weekend, we encourage everyone to try it, check it out.”

In an area far from light pollution, Lunsford said, observers would expect to catch one meteor every five minutes. If you’re near a city or bright lights, expect one every 15 minutes or so.

Occasionally, Lyrids exceed expectations, with eruptions of up to 100 per hour averaging every 60 years. The next eruption is expected in 2042. depending on the community. Lunsford said that while no eruptions are expected this year, the Lyrids may be worth your time, with fireballs in part, and extra bright meteors in the sky.

The Lyrids’ history goes back centuries

The Lyrids are first recorded in 687 BC. According to NASAmaking this meteorite one of the oldest on record.

“When people first noticed this, 2,700 years ago, they only noticed it because they saw something fall in the sky. But at the time, they didn’t understand what meteorites actually were — it took a lot longer,” said Peter Ferris, an astronomer at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “It was only in the 19th century when we kind of realized they actually came from space.”

Each meteor shower has a major comet from which the debris that makes up the shower comes from. lyreds Comet C/1861 G1 is named Thatcher, which is just over halfway through its 415-year orbit. The comet is far from Earth, but we encounter the trail of its wreckage every year.

Because of planetary perturbations and perturbations in the planet’s orbit, denser clumps of debris occur every 60 years due to this comet’s proximity to Jupiter and Saturn, Lunsford said. This eruption is what was first recorded over 2,700 years ago.

How do you see a meteor?

Lyrids may not be the most active in their annual showers. But compared to hundreds of other meteor showers that scientists have detected using professional equipment, Ferris noted, this shower can deliver a few meteors per hour that are bright enough to be seen by a casual observer.

If you’re looking to see one of these meteors, it’s best to head out at a time when radiant Lyra, the constellation from which the meteors seem to have originated, is in. will be over the horizon. For most people, it will be during the last few hours before dawn. Lunsford said those in the world’s southernmost regions, New Zealand and Australia, can still see meteors but at reduced rates because Lyra does not rise above the horizon as it does in the northern hemisphere.

“Immerse yourself in seeing the universe,” said Ferris. “It’s becoming more and more rare that we have the time to actually go out and see events like this – one reason is light pollution that kills our ability to go out and see anything in the sky.

“It’s important sometimes to get outside and not stare at computers and screens all the time and spend some time outdoors in nature enjoying the dark skies (that are) around us.”

More meteor showers to come

If you miss the narrow summit of Lyrids, there are plenty of opportunities for meteor spotting.

Here are the remaining meteor showers for 2023 and Peak dates:

• ETA Aquarius: May 5-6

• South Delta basins: 30-31 July

• Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31

• Perseids: August 12-13

• Orionids: October 20-21

• South Torres: November 4-5

• North Torres: November 11-12

• Leonids: November 17-18

• Geminids: December 13-14

• Ursids: December 21-22

Solar eclipse and lunar eclipse

The last eclipse was a A rare annular total eclipse which occurred on Wednesday but was only visible to parts of Australia, East Timor and Indonesia in its narrow path across the Indian Ocean. While this was difficult to view, this year you have other chances to see one in your area:

If you live in North, Central or South America, Annular solar eclipse It will take place on October 14, when the moon moves in front of the earth’s view of the sun, forming a clear circle of fire in the sky.

For those in Africa, Asia and Australia, lunar eclipse lunar eclipse It will happen on May 5 and October 28, Partial eclipse of the moon It will be viewable in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, parts of North America and most of South America. A lunar eclipse occurs when the moon enters the earth’s shadow and darkens the lunar surface.

More full moons

The next full moon will come in the first week of May, marking a flower date — hence its name, the Venus moon. Here is a list of the remaining full moons in the year 2023, According to the Farmers Almanac:

• May 5: Flower Moon

• June 3: Strawberry Moon

• July 3: Pak Moon

• August 1: Sturgeon Moon

• August 30: Blue Moon

• September 29: Harvest Moon

• October 28: Hunter’s Moon

• November 27: Beaver Moon

• December 26: Cold Moon