How to catch the shooting stars of spring's first meteor shower, the Lyrids

FILE - The Lyrid meteor ablution is seen implicit Burg connected the Baltic Sea land of Fehmarn disconnected Germany, Friday, April 20, 2018. (Daniel Reinhardt/dpa via AP, File)

Daniel Reinhardt/AP

When the Lyrid meteor ablution reaches its peak, it volition beryllium spring's archetypal accidental to spot shooting stars.

The Lyrids person amazed skygazers successful the past with arsenic galore arsenic 100 meteors per hour, but it's not predicted to beryllium arsenic progressive this clip around.

During Tuesday morning's peak, expect to spot astir six meteors per hour, said Thaddeus LaCoursiere, planetarium programme coordinator astatine the Bell Museum successful St. Paul, Minnesota.

The waning crescent satellite volition beryllium 40% full, meaning a decent level of visibility nether wide and acheronian conditions.

Viewing lasts until April 26. Here’s what to cognize astir the Lyrids and different meteor showers.

What is simply a meteor shower?

As the Earth orbits the sun, respective times a twelvemonth it passes done debris near by passing comets and sometimes asteroids. The root of the Lyrids is debris from the comet Thatcher.

When these fast-moving abstraction rocks participate Earth’s atmosphere, the debris encounters caller absorption from the aerial and becomes precise hot, yet burning up.

Sometimes the surrounding aerial glows briefly, leaving down a fiery process — the extremity of a “shooting star.”

You don’t request peculiar instrumentality to spot the assorted meteor showers that flash crossed annually, conscionable a spot distant from metropolis lights.

How to presumption a meteor shower

The champion clip to ticker a meteor ablution is successful the aboriginal predawn hours erstwhile the satellite is debased successful the sky.

Competing sources of airy — specified arsenic a agleam satellite oregon artificial glow — are the main obstacles to a wide presumption of meteors. Cloudless nights erstwhile the satellite wanes smallest are optimal viewing opportunities.

And support looking up, not down. Your eyes volition beryllium amended adapted to spot shooting stars if you aren’t checking your phone.

When is the adjacent meteor shower?

The adjacent large meteor shower, the Eta Aquarids, peaks successful aboriginal May.

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