Lyrids started last week and Eta Aquariids starts on Sunday.
We’ve had good reasons to look at the sky lately: the pink moon earlier this month and the launch and landing of the Orion spacecraft, which carried humans to the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years as part of the Artemis II mission.
And now we have two meteor showers.
The first is that of the Lyrids, which began on Tuesday and continues until the end of the month. It is a relatively minor meteor shower powered by comet C/1861 G1, also known as Thatcher after its discoverer, AE Thatcher, in 1861. It is a long-period comet that takes 415.5 years to orbit the sun.
The Lyrid meteor shower peaks between April 21 and 22 and will produce between 15 and 20 meteors per hour under optimal conditions. According to the American Meteor Society, the peak is expected to occur on the evening of April 22, so if you can only see it on one of the two nights, the second night should be the best viewing experience.
The second meteor shower starting this weekend is the Eta Aquariids. This meteor shower begins on Sunday, April 19 and lasts for more than a month, ending on May 28. This is the stronger of the two meteor showers, with an expected peak of around 50 meteors per hour, depending on where you view them from. The Eta Aquariids shower is known for its fast-moving meteors and lingering tails that stay a little longer after the meteor has disappeared.
It is fed by comet 1P/Halley, the same one that feeds the Orionid meteor shower every October. Its peak should be between May 5 and 6. The further south you go, the more meteors you can expect to see, and the opposite is true the farther north you go. The best place to view this meteor shower is in the tropics.
Meteors from the Lyrids meteor shower will appear to come from the constellation Lyra, which rises in the eastern sky in April.
Stellarium.orgHow to See Lyrids and Eta Aquariids
Meteor showers have a built-in trick for finding them. They are named after the constellations from which the meteors appear to come. This point of origin, known as the radiant, is where you want to look.
The Lyrids meteor shower comes from the constellation Lyra, which is close to the larger constellation Hercules. Both rise from the eastern sky around 11 p.m. local time. It will then follow a path similar to that of the sun, passing overhead before setting in the west. Sunrise occurs well before the constellations set, so if you wake up early to observe them, you’ll want to look high into the western sky.
Eta Aquarius meteors will appear to come from the constellation Aquarius, visible on the eastern horizon a few hours before dawn in April and May.
Stellarium.orgThe Eta Aquariids shower is harder to see. It comes from the constellation Aquarius, which spends most of the night of May 5-6 below the eastern horizon. The constellation rises around 3 a.m. local time and will barely cross the horizon before sunrise a few hours later. If you go out to watch the Eta Aquariids, get up high and head east.
If you’re having trouble finding the constellations, your best bet is to use a sky map app like StarWalk (Android and iOS) or use web tools like Stellarium’s Sky Map. Such tools can help you identify where constellations will be located. To observe a meteor shower, all you really need is the general direction, but there’s no harm in knowing how to find the constellation.
Tips for Watching Meteor Showers
THE Tips for Watching Meteor Showers is the same regardless of the size of the shower. The biggest benefit you can give yourself is to get as far away from light pollution as possible. It means abandoning the city and suburbs in favor of greener, darker pastures.
The moon can have a significant impact on observation. This won’t be a problem for the Lyrids since the moon should be about a quarter full at the time of the Lyrid peak. Eta Aquariids spectators are not so lucky since the moon will be about 80% full that night, leading to significant light pollution. The American Meteor Society says the shower’s peak can reach 50 meteors per hour, but with the moon nearly full, people can expect more than 10.
Apart from light pollution, the advice is quite simple. Make sure you go out early so your eyes can adjust and avoid using bright lights that could affect your night vision. Since viewing a meteor shower can last for several hours, be sure to dress for the weather and refrain from consuming alcohol, as it acts as a vasodilator and can cause you to lose body heat more quickly on cold evenings.
You won’t need any equipment since the meteors are visible to the naked eye. Telescopes and binoculars will narrow your field of view, which could cause you to miss meteors.
