 Lyrid Meteor Shower, Apr 16-25, 2013 |
It’s here!
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The Lyrid (pronounced LYR-id) meteor shower last from April 16 to 25, and peaks before dawn April 22, 2013 so anytime over the next few nights, you have an opportunity to see a Lyrid meteor, April’s shooting stars!
Lyrid meteors tend to be bright and often leave trails. About 10-20 meteors per hour at peak can be expected around the peak morning on April 22, 2013 and over the next few days. Plus, the Lyrids are known for uncommon surges that can sometimes bring the rate up to 100 per hour. Those rare outbursts are not easy to predict, but they’re one of the reasons the tantalizing Lyrids are worth checking out.
The radiant for this shower is in the constellation Lyra, which rises in the northeast at about 10PM. In 2013, the waxing gibbous moon lights up the nighttime until the wee hours, so try watching this meteor shower after moonset and before dawn.
Learn more
Check out http://earthsky.org/tonight/close-up-on-constellation-lyra-the-harp
