DavidE - 4-22-2012 at 06:32 AM
Your guide to the Lyrid meteor shower
Tonight and tomorrow night, look up at the sky for a spectacular light show.
The Lyrid Meteor Showers happen annually, but this year’s "moonless" night and lack of cloud cover for the western two-thirds of the United States
will make for better views.
The moon is in its new phase - meaning the side facing Earth isn't lit up by the sun, NASA's meteor shower expert Bill Cooke told Space.com. Last
year, the moonlight made it harder to see the Lyrid show.
"The Lyrids are really unpredictable," Cooke told Space.com. "I'm expecting 15 to 20 Lyrid meteors an hour. Back in 1982, they outburst to nearly 100
per hour. You really can't predict with this."
Space.com reports that the Lyrid shower - which takes place as the Earth passes through dust from comet Thatcher - has been watched by humans for more
than 2,600 years.
The meteor shower's name comes from the constellation Lyra.
The best times to watch are after midnight and just before dawn. Look to the northeast and pick a viewpoint well away from city lights. The darker the
sky, the brighter the meteors will appear.
NASA recommends watching with the naked eye instead of through a telescope or binoculars.
You can also join NASA's live chat tonight with Cooke and other experts.
Enjoy the show!
Bonnie Schneider is a meteorologist for CNN and HLN. Her book Extreme Weather is on sale wherever books are sold, and through her website:
BonnieWeather.com.
Post by: CNN meteorologist Bonnie Schneider
Filed under: Astronomy • Weather
Hook - 4-22-2012 at 07:22 AM
I was out twice; at 0130 and 0300 and it was SLOW watching for me. There was some moisture in the air but only enough to drown out the faintest
meteors.
The summer showers seem much more "active".