Grab Your Telescope For A Radiant Sky This Weekend
April has been full of scraping ice, huge puddles, and raw days. This weekend, astrologists are hoping for a break in the weather to watch the sky come alive.
According to earthsky.org, the Lyrid meteor shower is appearing now through the 25th. However, the event peaks this weekend.
According to the site, the Lyrid can produce quite the sky show. In a moonless sky, you might see from about 10 to 20 Lyrid meteors an hour at the shower’s peak on the morning of April 22. This time around, the waxing moon will set before the primetime morning hours. In years past, it's been crazy. Back in 1982, American observers did see an outburst of nearly 100 Lyrid meteors per hour.
The best viewing will be just before dawn. This time of year, sunrise occurs just before 6am. Around the Lyrids’ peak, the star Vega rises above the horizon, around 9 or 10pm. However, Just before dawn, Vega and the radiant point shine high overhead. That’s one reason the meteors are always more numerous.
The forecast for Sunday morning is calling for clear skies, so this year should be a real treat!