On April 16-25, stargazers can anticipate the arrival of Lyrids meteor shower this year. It peaks usually in the early hours before dawn of the 22, where you can expect about 10 meteors per hour. And due to the smaller crescent in our moon cycle, we can view them without too much interference from moonlight. A meteor shower is really something special to see, and Lyrids are a true wonder as one of the older meteor showers in human history.
The Lyrids shower has been recorded in history for about 2,600 years. With written records, scientists have been able to keep a track of “fireballs,” or better known a brighter meteor that leaves a trail of debris in the atmosphere. The oldest known recording was in 687 BC in Zho Zhuan, a narrative history that covered a period of 3 centuries. In the record, it’s noted that around the springtime the stars had “fallen like rain.” Most of the historical notes worldwide seem to happen when there’s a flurry of meteors, a shower that comes out from The Lyrids about every 60 years. The most were in Virginia near the turn of the nineteenth century, where someone recorded almost 700 meteors per hour.
The meteors come from Comet Thatcher, a comet that makes a 415-year orbit around our sun. Last time it came close to our planet, it was the nineteenth century and no one was able to photograph it; the next opportunity will be in 160 years. The debris that sheds from the comet each year hits our atmosphere at over 100,000 miles and hour, which causes the shower.
If you live in the city, it’s best to plan a trip out to a more rural area that has less light pollution. A good rule of thumb is if you can see the Big Dipper entirely, you should be able to see meteors; however, the less light pollution the better. In California, I highly recommend a trip out to the deserts or mountains, as those are the best places to escape light pollution. Much of Southern California is affected by light pollution from Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Death Valley, Big Sur, Joshua Tree, Palomar, and Highway 395 (Mono County). All of these places are big, open areas with less light pollution affecting their regions than other parts of California, creating a better viewing experience. Some places require a camping reservation of some sort since the shower can best be seen at dawn, so I would recommend planning a trip to enjoy the environment as well as see the shower.
The Lyrids meteor shower is something anyone able to should see. We have wonderful events in our night sky such as this and the Perseids shower and should take the time to admire the night sky. It’s harder to do that as light pollution affects our urban surroundings, which is why an escape can be exactly what you need to get in touch with nature. On April 22, I encourage anyone who loves to stargaze to look up at the night sky.
