April Meteor Shower
April 2007 :
Note: This article may contain outdated information
This article was published in the April 2007 issue of The Skyscraper and likely contains some information that was pertinent only for that month. It is being provided here for historical reference only.
I haven't written about the April Lyrids for a few years now because the shower had been in decline, and the observing conditions were always poor to fair at best. Well, this year the shower will be best observed on the peak night of April 22-23, after the almost first quarter Moon sets around 1:00 am on the 23rd.
The constellation Lyra, from where the meteors will appear to radiate, will be well up in the eastern sky at this time. The swift and bright Lyrid meteors disintegrate after hitting our atmosphere at a moderate speed of 29.8 miles per second. They often produce luminous trains of dust that can be observed for several seconds.
Even with the Moon gone from the sky, perhaps no more than a dozen or so meteors per hour can be seen by an observer well away from city lights. Since the Lyrids are a narrow stream of particles, expect less than six meteors per hour maximum during the night before and the night after peak.
Good luck. Let’s hope a rain shower doesn’t spoil the view!
