(CNN) After the absence of the major Annual meteor shower For months, the Lyrids have been 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 on Saturday at 9:06 p.m. ET. According to EarthSky.
The Lyrids are appearing in the sky 15th April and lasts till 29th April, But their peak is relatively short compared to the popular summer Perseids and other showers.
The best time to view the Lyrids – the chance to see the most meteors – is from late Saturday evening to early Sunday morning.
The good news is A new moon A full moon leaves perfect viewing conditions, without any bright light interference.
“The Moon hides all but the brightest meteors, so when there’s no interference from the Moon, you can see all the meteors that appear, bright, faint, and bright,” said Robert Lunsford, Fireball report coordinator for the American Meteorological Society. “The chance for surprises (with this coming rain) is very small, but with no moon in the sky and it happening over a weekend, we encourage everyone to give it a shot and see it.”
In an area free of light pollution, observers can expect to catch a meteor every five minutes, Lunsford said. If you’re near a city or have bright lights, expect once every 15 minutes.
Occasionally, the Lyrids exceed expectations, with an average of 100 eruptions per hour every 60 years. The next eruption is expected in 2042. According to society. Although no eruptions are predicted this year, the Lyrids are still worth your time, as part of them are fireballs, extra-bright meteors in the sky, Lunsford said.
The history of Lyrits dates back several centuries
Lyrics were first recorded in 687 BC, According to NASAThis meteor shower is one of the oldest on record.
“When people first noticed it 2,700 years ago, they only noticed it because they saw something falling in the sky. But at the time, they didn’t understand what meteorites really were – it took a long time,” said Peter Veres. , an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. “It wasn’t until the 19th century that we realized they actually came from space.”
Every meteor shower has a parent comet from which the debris that forms the shower comes. The Lyrics’ The comet is named C/1861 G1 Thatcher, and it is halfway through its 415-year orbit. The comet is far from Earth, but we encounter its debris trail every year.
Planetary disturbances, perturbations in the planet’s orbit, and the comet’s close proximity to Jupiter and Saturn cause dense accumulations of debris every 60 years, Lunsford said. This eruption was first recorded 2,700 years ago.
How to spot a meteor
Lyrids are not very active during the annual rains. But compared to the hundreds of meteor showers detected by scientists using professional equipment, Verres noted, this shower can provide just a few meteors per hour for a casual observer to see.
If you want to see one of these meteors, it’s best to go out during its radiation Lyra, the constellation where the meteors originated. above the horizon. For most, it’s in the pre-dawn hours. People in the southernmost parts of the world, such as New Zealand and Australia, can still see meteors, but at a slower rate when Lyra doesn’t rise above the horizon like in the Northern Hemisphere, Lunsford said.
“Get involved in looking at the universe,” Verez said. “It’s becoming increasingly rare to have the time to actually go out and see events like this — one reason is light pollution, which reduces the ability to go outside and actually see anything in the sky.
“It’s important to get outside sometimes, stop staring at our computers and screens all the time, and spend some time in nature enjoying the dark skies around us.”
And there will be meteor showers
If you miss the short peak of Lyrids, there are still plenty of opportunities to find a meteorite.
The remaining meteor showers of 2023 and Their peak dates:
• Eda Aquarius: May 5-6
• South Delta Aquarits: July 30-31
• Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31
• Perseids: August 12-13
• Orionides: October 20-21
• Southern Tarits: November 4-5
• Northern Tarits: November 11-12
• Leonids: November 17-18
• Gemini: December 13-14
• Ursits: December 21-22
Solar and lunar eclipses
The most recent eclipse was a A rare annular-total eclipse It occurred on Wednesday, but was only visible over parts of Australia, East Timor and Indonesia during its narrow path in the Indian Ocean. Although it’s hard to see, you have other opportunities this year to see one in your area:
If you live in North, Central, or South America, An annular solar eclipse Occurs on October 14 when the Moon faces Earth’s Sun, creating a crisp, fiery circle in the sky.
For those in Africa, Asia and Australia, A penumbral lunar eclipse Happening on May 5 and October 28. A partial lunar eclipse It can be seen in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, parts of North America and most of South America. A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon enters Earth’s shadow and dims the Moon’s surface.
Also full moons
The next full moon in the first week of May brings time for flowers – hence the name, Flower Moon. Here is the list of remaining full moons in 2023: According to Farmers Almanac:
• May 5: Flower Moon
• June 3: Strawberry Moon
• July 3: Buck 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
