One of the oldest known meteor showers will illuminate the night sky next week. He Lyric meteor shower peaks on Thursday, April 22 in the morning, marking a spectacular start Earth Day.
The rain follows a meteorite drought of months, during which there were no showers from January to April.
What are lilies?
The meteor shower of Lyrid returns every year approximately from 16 to 25 April, as the particles come off the comet 1861 G1 Thatcher. There are no photos of the comet because it last passed through the inner solar system in 1861 and, with an orbit of 415 years, will not return until 2276.
Lyrid records date back to about 2,700 years ago, making it one of the oldest known meteor showers. According to NASA, the first meteor shower from Lyrid was recorded in China in 687 BC.
It seems that the meteorites of the lilies radiate from the constellation of the harp Lyra, near the bright star Vega, giving name to the shower.
Lyrids are known to have erupted at 100 meteors per hour, with heaviest showers in Greece in 1922, Japan in 1945 and the United States in 1982. An eruption is not expected for 2021, but that does not mean it is impossible.
As the Earth collides with the comet’s orbit, vaporizing debris approaches our atmosphere at about 110,000 kilometers per hour. Meteors are considered medium-fast.
Approximately 25% of the Lyrid meteorite leaves a persistent train, a trail of ionized gas that glows for a few seconds after the meteor has already passed. Shooting stars are known for their speed and brightness, although they do not compare to bright stars. Perseid shower in August.
Under normal conditions, the shower offers a peak of about 10-20 meteors per hour in the northern hemisphere. In the southern hemisphere, the speed is much less than 1-2 per hour.
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When and where to see the Lyrids
The meteor shower from the lyres is expected to arrive in the later hours of Thursday, April 22 and continue until the morning of April 23, according to EarthSky. Regardless of where you are on Earth, the best time to detect meteor shower is between midnight and dawn.
The shower starts after the radiant climb and is usually best when the radiant sky is higher. During peak rainfall, Vega rises northeast around 9 a.m. to 10 p.m., local time, and is highest just before dawn.
However, the afternoon hours also offer the opportunity to see a land shepherd: a slow-moving, long-lasting meteor that crosses the horizon line.
With this particular rainfall, fewer meteorites are visible from the southern hemisphere.
If you look directly at the radiant, the shooting stars will be short. To see longer and more spectacular meteors, it’s best to look the other way.
As always, it’s best to escape the harsh lights of the city and watch the meteor showers in an open space. Look for an open area, give your eyes 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and lie on your back.
This year, the light of the crescent gibbous moon, full on April 26, will interfere with visibility.
“On the morning of April 22, the Moon will set about 30 minutes before any sign of dawn begins to appear in the east (at 4:07 a.m. and 4:44 a.m. EDT, respectively), so there will only be one short window without light interference, “NASA said.
The lilies overlap with the rain of etaari Aquariid meteorites, which lasts from April 19 to May 28. This rain, however, is strongest in the southern hemisphere.