When to See a Lyrid Meteor Shower Lighting up the Night Sky
In addition to the supermoon and warm spring air, April brings news of space rocks. Starting April 16, Earth will cross the tail of Comet Thatcher, C / 1861 G1, which will see the Lyrid streak across the night sky. Of course, this is not the same as looking up to see the approaching moon hovering above us, but rather an exercise in patience, as meteors are much more fleeting than other celestial phenomena.
Here’s what you need to know about the Lyrid and how to see them later this month.
What are lyrids?
The Lyrids derive their name from the constellation Lyra, which, according to the Constellation Guide, “is associated with the myth of the Greek musician and poet Orpheus . ” The constellation hangs in the northern sky just below the star Vega, which is visible in the summer sky, forming an “asterism known as the Summer Triangle,” along with the stars Deneb and Altair, Space.com notes .
The Lyrids are a welcome sight for meteorite hunters, who are deprived of their favorite celestial attractions from January to mid-April. But every April, as the Earth passes through the debris left by Thatcher’s C / 1861 G1 tail, the Lyrids race across the sky.
According to EarthSky , the Lyrid is an annual event that usually lasts about nine days. It is expected to peak around April 19 this year. Here’s how the experts clarify:
Lyrids are active every year from about April 16th to 25th. We expect steam to start picking up steam in 2021, starting late Monday, April 19, likely peaking in the predawn hours of Thursday, April 22. The next morning (April 23) might be fine too if you’re ready.
Generally speaking, during this time period, meteors will be active between moonset and dawn.
One Helpful Hint: Find a Radiant Point
Lyrids will whet your appetite for meteorites, but only for a short time. This is not entirely insane as they usually only spawn in streams of 10 to 15 per hour. (Sometimes they can overwhelm areas of the sky in groups of 100 per hour, but such a sight is rare.)
One way to make sure you actually capture the Lyrid is to find Vega, the bright star that illuminates the path of the meteors at their peak. According to EarthSky, it’s all about when the point of radiation – in this case Vega – rises. You can find Vega if “look northeast in the evening and see a bright bluish star above the northeastern horizon.” As for the inhabitants of the Northern Hemisphere, it is usually between nine and ten o’clock in the evening local time. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, your chances of seeing the show at their peak depends on how early you get up (or how late you go to bed).
As Earth Sky explains:
Since the radiant point of this rain is so far north on the dome of the sky, the star Vega only rises for you a few hours before dawn. When dawn dawns, it will be lower for you in the sky than for us, north of the globe. This is why you will see fewer Lyrid meteors. However, you can see them!
The same protocol applies when it comes to creating your own best meteor catching environment. Avoid light pollution, look up north, and welcome the first burning space rocks in 2021.