The Lyrid Meteor Shower Peaks April 21-22
upstart writes:
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks April 21-22:
One of the oldest known meteor showers is gracing the night sky next week - coinciding with the celebration of our planet, known as Earth Day. There hasn't been a meteor shower in months, and the Lyrid shower marks the end of the drought.
[...] The Lyrid meteor shower lights up the night sky every year from around April 15 to 29, as particles shed from Comet 1861 G1 Thatcher. The comet last passed through the inner solar system in 1861 - and it will not return until 2276 due to its 415-year orbit.
[...] Lyrid meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Lyra the Harp, located near the well-known star Vega, giving the shower its name.
[...] The Lyrids meteor shower is predicted to peak at 4 UTC on Friday, April 22, according to EarthSky.
Unfortunately, this year, a bright waning moon will illuminate the sky during the shower, making it more difficult to spot shooting stars.
If you look directly at the radiant - the point where the meteors appear to be coming from, which will be in the constellation Lyra - the shooting stars will be short. To see longer and more spectacular meteors, it's better to look away.
Find yourself a dark spot and remember to Keep Looking Up!.
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