This weekend, sky-gazers can witness the April Lyrids, a meteor display that has been recorded for over 27 centuries. The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor displays, and they are considered reliable and consistent. The last significant meteor display, the Quadrantid meteor shower, was observed on January 3, almost 16 weeks ago.
According to Peter Jenniskens, a NASA meteor expert, the Lyrid shower is his favorite because it signals the arrival of spring for northern hemisphere observers after the lower meteor rates in February and March. Along with the Lyrids, there is a chance to spot fireball meteors from a different meteor swarm, although they are less predictable and more erratic than the Lyrids, making them a “wild card” for meteor observers.
The Lyrid meteor shower produces around 10 to 20 meteors per hour during its peak. Alastair McBeath, a UK meteor expert, notes that while the Lyrids are abundant in dim meteors, a few bright ones can also be seen. The Lyrids can produce meteors that are remarkably bright, with about 20-25% of them leaving behind persistent trains. To identify a Lyrid meteor, one can examine its trail, which points back to the vicinity of the bright blue-white star Vega.
Vega can be observed about 10 degrees above the northeast horizon at around 10 pm local time, and it climbs higher in the eastern sky as time progresses. The radiant, or the point where the Lyrid meteors originate, is located just southwest of Vega, at the intersection of Lyra, Vega’s constellation, and the vast constellation of Hercules.
The Lyrid radiant is at its peak, located right overhead for the southern states and nearby for those at mid-northern latitudes, at approximately 4:30 am, around the time when dawn begins to break. Sky-gazers will have the opportunity to observe this reliable meteor display this weekend.
The Lyrids are a yearly display of fast meteors that can be seen from April 16 to 25. They generally produce over half of their maximum in numbers for about a day or two centered on the date of their peak activity. This year, the peak is expected to fall during the evening hours of April 22. However, the best time to observe them will be during the predawn hours on April 23, when the moon will not interfere with the view.
A single observer during the peak may count anywhere from 10 to 20 meteors per hour. While the Lyrids are rich in faint meteors, some occasional bright ones can be seen. The trail of a Lyrid meteor points back to near the dazzling blue-white star Vega. The radiant, or point from which these meteors originate, is just to the southwest of Vega, on the border between Vega’s little constellation of Lyra and the dim, sprawling constellation of Hercules.
The Lyrid radiant is at its highest (right overhead for the southern states and not far off it for anyone at mid-northern latitudes) at 4:30 a.m., around the time that dawn begins to break. Sky-gazers can look forward to a spectacular and reliable meteor display this weekend with the April Lyrids.
