The Lyrids, one of the oldest known meteor showers, will peak on April 22nd and 23rd. Here's everything you need to know to appreciate this heavenly show.
The Lyrids are caused by the debris from Comet Thatcher, which orbits the Sun every 415 years. As the Earth passes through the comet's dusty trail, some of the particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating bright streaks of light. The Lyrids are named after the constellation Lyra, where their radiant point lies. This is the area of the sky from which the meteors appear to originate.
The best time to watch the Lyrids is after midnight when Lyra rises higher in the eastern sky. You don't need special equipment to see them, just a dark, clear sky and patience. At its peak, the shower normally generates 15 to 20 meteors per hour, although there are occasional bursts of activity that may yield up to 100 meteors per hour. This occurred the last time in 1982.
The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors, some of which leave persistent trains behind them. They can also produce fireballs, which are very bright and colourful meteors that can rival Venus in brightness. The Lyrids are also one of the few meteor showers that can be seen from both hemispheres, although they favour the northern one.
To enjoy the show, find a comfortable spot away from city lights and look up at the sky. You don't need to stare in any specific direction since meteors might appear anywhere in the sky. However, if you trace their paths backwards, they will all point to Lyra. The brightest star in Lyra is Vega, which is part of the Summer Triangle asterism along with Deneb and Altair.
The Lyrids will have some competition from the Moon this year, as it will be in its waxing gibbous phase and will rise around midnight. To avoid its glare, observe before moonrise or after moonset, or find a spot where you can block it with a building or a tree. This week watchers will get a chance to be witness to celestial bodies as the Moon will appear to be close to Uranus, Mercury, Venus and Aldebaran,
On Friday, April 21, you can glimpse Uranus and Mercury near the western horizon about half an hour after sunset. They will be very close together, only 4 degrees apart, but you will need binoculars or a telescope to see them. Uranus is much fainter than Mercury, at magnitude 5.9 versus 1.9. The crescent Moon will be about 15 degrees above them.
On Saturday, April 22, you can see Venus shining brightly in Taurus, about 8 degrees north of Aldebaran, the red giant star that marks the eye of the bull. The Pleiades star cluster will be about 12 degrees to Venus' lower right. The Moon will be about 20 degrees below Venus.
On Sunday, April 23, you can see the Moon getting closer to Venus, only 10 degrees apart. They will make a beautiful pair in the evening sky.
On Monday, April 24, you can see the Moon and Venus at their closest, only 4 degrees apart. They will be joined by Aldebaran and the Hyades star cluster, forming a stunning quartet in Taurus.
On Tuesday, April 25, you can see the Moon moving away from Venus and toward Gemini. It will be about 10 degrees above Pollux and Castor, the twin stars that mark the heads of Gemini.
On Wednesday, April 26, you can see the Moon passing through Gemini and approaching Cancer. It will be about halfway between Pollux and Procyon, the brightest star in Canis Minor.
On Thursday, April 27, you can see the Moon entering Cancer and passing near M44, also known as Praesepe or the Beehive Cluster. This is an open cluster of stars that resembles a swarm of bees or a fuzzy patch of light. You can see it with your naked eye if the sky is clear.