April 22: Lyrid meteor shower to climax on Earth Day 2021
Today, April 22, is Earth Day, also known as the birthday of the modern environmental movement. Earth Day began in 1970, giving a voice to an emerging public consciousness about the state of our planet. The celebration is widely recognized as the largest secular observance in the world, with more than a billion people participating annually in support of preserving the health and beauty of our planet.
And this year, as in many Aprils-gone-by, the annual Lyrid meteor shower is also reaching its peak – after several months of a meteor drought in 2021.
The Lyrids may have already peaked in the predawn hours of April 22. If you missed the peak, though, the wee hours of tomorrow morning, April 23, should also offer another chance to see this shower.
Observers in the Northern Hemisphere will see the most Lyrids, with the best time to watch between midnight and dawn. Although you’ll see a fairly bright Moon in the evening sky, it will set before the shower peaks near dawn. Peak rates for the Lyrids are around 10-20 meteors per hour.
The meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation Lyra, but they can appear anywhere in the sky, which is why it is important to lie on your back and take in as much sky as possible.
The Lyrids is among the oldest of known meteor showers, with records going back for 2,700 years or more. It is produced by dust particles left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25.
And if you can’t get outdoors to check out the predawn sky, check out the live camera stream of the April 2021 Lyrids Meteor Shower below.
Happy Earth Day and Happy Meteor Watching!
(Source: NASA)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today / Follow Richard on Facebook and Twitter
