Posted on 04/21/2015 5:57:26 PM PDT by BenLurkin
2015 should be a favorable year for the first major meteor shower of the Spring season for the northern hemisphere. The peak for the shower in 2015 is predicted to arrive just after midnight Universal Time on Thursday April 23rd, which is 8:00 PM EDT on the evening of Wednesday April 22nd. This favors European longitudes right around the key time, though North America could be in for a decent show as well. Remember, meteor showers don’t read forecasts, and the actual peak can always arrive early or late. We plan to start watching tonight and into Wednesday and Thursday morning as well. April also sees a extremely variable level of cloud cover over the northern hemisphere, another reason to start your meteor vigil early on if skies are clear.
Another favorable factor this year is the phase of the Moon, which is only a slender 20% illuminated waxing crescent on Wednesday night. This means that it will have set well before local midnight when the action begins.
The source of the Lyrid meteors is Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which is on a 415 year orbit and is expected to come back around again in 2276 A.D. 1861 actually sported two great comets, the other being C/1861 J1, also known as the Great Comet of 1861.
(Excerpt) Read more at universetoday.com ...
I am not a serious astronomy buff but I still like to go out and look at various events. Mostly I don’t get a very good look. Light pollution is not a problem but I just seem to be in the wrong place for observation.
I did get to see Hale-Bopp several times in the very late afternoons.
Hey Ben!
Hope to be laying out on the bow of my boat watching for meteors. If not, laying in the berth under the skylight looking for meteors.
Otherwise, I’ll be asleep. :D
I will be laying on my dock in Ellsworth MI.....beer in one hand and blanket in the other
For a couple of years, I’ve seen meteors several times per week during most weeks with or without meteor showers. That, by only glancing up at the sky for a few seconds each of most nights. What does it all mean? Well, more meteors, of course. ;-)
What a way to cap off Earth Day, with an extinction impact from a Lyrid meteor ;!
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