Lyrid meteor shower before dawn April 22 or 23
The Lyrids are one of the oldest meteor showers known. They were first logged in Chinese astronomical records in 687 BC.
In 2007, the Lyrid meteor shower is forecast to be at its best in the predawn hours Sunday and Monday mornings, April 22 and 23.
Typical maximums range from 10 to 20 meteors an hour. That’s a meteor every few minutes. Higher outburts of Lyrids are relatively rare, but they’re possible, especially around the time of the shower’s peak Sunday or Monday before dawn.
The Lyrid shower happens every year, when our planet Earth is crossing the orbital path of Comet Thatcher. As we cross the comet’s path, bits and pieces from this comet plunge into Earth’s atmosphere. These particles vaporize as they fall and light up the night as meteors.
The Lyrid shower takes its name from the constellation Lyra the Harp. If you trace the paths of these Lyrid meteors backwards, they seem to come from the direction of Lyra’s brilliant blue–white star, Vega. But you don’t need to find Vega to watch the Lyrids. These meteors will appear all over the sky.
What you do need is a dark place – away from outdoor lights – to watch the shower. Give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adapt to the dark, and plan to stay awhile to count how many meteors you see.
Meteors – commonly called shooting stars – tend to intensify after midnight and to reach their highest numbers in the hours before dawn. Our thanks today to Research Corporation, a foundation for the advancement of science.
4/22/07 @ 0400 to 0500 Eastern Time, Western North Carolina. I observed 14 meteors looking east.All very brief and very fast.