The Earth is passing a stream of debris from ancient Comet Thatcher, source of the annual Lyrid Meteor Shower. Usually the shower is mild (10-20 meteors per hour) but, occasionally, we run through denser filaments of dust from the comets tail that can trigger outbursts ten times stronger. Forecasters expect this years peak, however strong it may be, to occur on the morning of April 23rd. We will see the shower radiate from a region near the star Vega, which can be seen rising in the north-east around 2am. Experienced meteor watchers suggest the following: Dress warmly. Bring a reclining chair, or spread a thick blanket over a flat spot of ground. Lie down and look up somewhat toward the north-east. Meteors can appear in any part of the sky, although their trails will tend to point back toward the radiant point near Vega
Posted on: Mon, 21 Apr 2014 23:16:02 +0000
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