How to watch the dazzling meteor shower of the Lyrids (unless the moon hinders the passage)

Spring stargazers are about to indulge themselves; The Lyrid meteor shower will culminate in a dazzling show tonight and early Tuesday morning (April 22-23).

A single celestial object could hinder: the moon almost full.

"This year, the moon will be a problem for potential meteorologists", because its moon will be so bright, said Joe Rao, instructor and guest speaker at the Hayden Planetarium in New York, for Space.com, the sister site of Live Science. . "The best chance to see Lyrids this year will be April 23 in the morning, just before morning twilight." [Photos: Super Blood Wolf Moon Eclipse Stuns Viewers]

The Lyrids, one of the oldest known meteor showers, peak every year at the end of April, according to NASA. The first to note these traces of light were the Chinese of 687 BC. BC, which means that celestial observers have known the Lyrids for at least 2,700 years.

Why is this meteor shower occurring every year? NASA reported that comet C / 1861 G1 Thatcher – named AE Thatcher, who had discovered it in 1861 – had left debris in space as she was climbing up the river. space. These debris consist mainly of dusty comet particles. Every April, when the Earth rotates around the sun, our planet passes through these particles, which then collide with the Earth and burn in the atmosphere, leaving flaming streaks in the air. the night sky.

Although stunning, the Lyrids are not the brightest meteor shower visible from Earth. This honor usually comes back to the Perseids, who shine every month in August. That said, while the Perseids have between 50 and 100 meteors (also called shooting stars) per hour, the Lyrids are still impressive, with about 10 to 20 meteors per hour at their peak.

If you are in the northern hemisphere, the best way to discover these meteors is to go out at night, away from light pollution. Give your eyes time to adjust to darkness when you are comfortable sitting on a lawn chair or blanket. Then, lift your feet facing east, looking at the night sky as much as possible. (Binoculars are not recommended because they can limit your field of vision.)

It should be noted that the Lyrids bear this name because they seem to come from the constellation Lyra, or harp. Despite this nickname, the Lyrids do not come from Lyra, but the location of the constellation can help you spot the meteors, reported NASA. If you do not know where Lyra is, look for Vega, the brightest star in this constellation.

Originally published on Science live.