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Axios
24-04-2025
- Science
- Axios
Two meteor showers light up Utah's skies
Be on the lookout for shooting stars and fireballs as two meteor showers — the Lyrids and the Eta Aquarids — overlap through the weekend. Utah is a great place to watch with our abundance of dark skies. How it works: The Lyrids meteor shower, which comes from the debris of Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, is active April 17 through April 26, per NASA. "Lyrids don't tend to leave long, glowing dust trains behind them as they streak through the Earth's atmosphere, but they can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball," NASA notes.
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
See it: Lyrid meteor shower peaks in dazzling worldwide display
NEW YORK – Stargazers across the globe were treated to a dazzling display of shooting stars Monday night as the annual Lyrid meteor shower reached its peak. The luminous Lyrids painted the U.S. skies in the early Tuesday hours for observers in the U.s., offering a spectacular celestial show in Redwood City, California. The Lyrids originate from the dusty trail left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. This long-period comet, discovered by astronomer A.E. Thatcher in 1861, takes an estimated 415 years to complete a single orbit around the Sun and hasn't been seen in our inner solar system since. As Earth passes through this stream of debris each April, the tiny particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating the streaks of light we know as meteors. See Renderings Of Space Station To Be Built Around The Moon While an average meteor shower typically produces 10 to 20 meteors per hour, the Lyrids occasionally surprise with bursts of up to 100 meteors per hour. This year's display did not disappoint many observers, who reported seeing numerous bright streaks illuminating the night sky as seen here in Ankara, Turkey's cosmopolitan capital in the country's central Anatolia region. 7 Tips On How To Shoot The Moon With A Camera If this celestial show disappointed you or if cloud cover got in the way, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower in early May will offer another chance to see shooting stars. The Eta Aquarids peak May 3-4, according to NASA. Click here to see your complete guide to all this year's celestial events, featuring more full Moons, eclipses and article source: See it: Lyrid meteor shower peaks in dazzling worldwide display
Yahoo
22-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Missed the Lyrids meteor shower? The Eta Aquarids, with up to 50 meteors per hour, is soon
The Lyrid meteor shower lit up Texas skies early Tuesday, giving stargazers the perfect chance to enjoy a celestial display. Though not as dramatic as some of the more famous meteor showers, the Lyrids are a reliable annual event, producing up to 20 meteors per hour at their peak. The shower is caused by debris left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861, according to Named after the constellation Lyra, the Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers — with records from China indicating it was observed more than 2,500 years ago. Comet Thatcher, the source of the Lyrids, takes about 415 years to orbit the Sun and won't be visible from Earth again until 2276. But if you missed it, don't fret. The Eta Aquarids is just days away. You won't have to wait long for another chance to catch falling stars. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is already active, and annually comes from April 19 to May 28. Peak viewing is expected on May 5 and 6. This shower tends to be more of a spectacle, producing up to 50 meteors per hour at its peak. It's named after Eta Aquarii, one of the stars in the constellation Aquarius. The Eta Aquarids is one of two meteor showers created by debris from Comet Halley. Earth crosses Halley's orbital path twice a year — once in spring and again in fall. The second crossing creates the Orionid meteor shower, which typically peaks around October 20. Comet Halley takes about 76 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. The next time it will be visible from Earth is in 2061. Unless clouds obstruct the view, Texans will have the opportunity to see the meteor shower in early May. The best viewing will be during the pre-dawn hours, from around 1 a.m. to 3 a.m., when the sky is darkest. Texas is home to several International Dark Sky Communities, designated by the International Dark-Sky Association for their commitment to reducing light pollution and preserving night skies. Dripping Springs, located about 23 miles west of Austin, was the first in Texas to earn this title in 2014 and the sixth in the world. In addition to these communities, Texas also boasts several Dark Sky Places, which include larger natural areas like parks or preserves dedicated to protecting the night sky. These areas typically have minimal artificial light and offer educational opportunities about astronomy. Notable examples of Dark Sky Places in Texas include Big Bend National Park, Enchanted Rock, and Devils River State Natural Area. Here are the areas officially recognized for Dark Sky initiatives in Texas, which will be the best viewing places for the upcoming meteor showers. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Eta Aquarids meteor shower 2025: When and where to watch in Texas
Yahoo
21-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Look up tonight, Lyrid meteor showers to peak. Will Ohio's weather cooperate? The forecast
Keep an eye on the skies. The Lyrid meteor shower will peak tonight and could bring shooting stars and fireballs to the skies over Ohio. But will Ohio's fickle spring weather cooperate for the celestial show? Here's what to know. The biggest astronomical events in 2025: Every eclipse, comet, meteor shower to see in Ohio The Lyrid meteor shower will light up the sky from April 17 to 26 but will peak the night of Monday, April 21, to Tuesday, April 22, according to NASA. The moon will be about 40% full that night, according to the American Meteor Society, which might interfere with some of the show. According to NASA, the Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers, first recorded by the Chinese in 687 B.C. The Lyrids are fast and bright meteors that can show as many as 100 meteors per hour during the peak. In general, though, the shower only shows 10 to 20 meteors per hour. While these meteors don't tend to leave long, glowing trails behind them as they streak through the Earth's atmosphere, they can produce the occasional bright flash called a fireball, per NASA. Being Ohio, tonight's weather may not play nice for the meteor shower. Here's a look at the National Weather Service forecast. In Akron, showers today will give way to partly cloudy skies tonight, according to the forecast, which could let people get a glimpse of the Lyrids. Showers in Columbus also will give way to partly cloudy skies overnight, per the forecast. And in Cincinnati, tonight's forecast also calls for partly cloudy skies Monday night into Tuesday. Suni Williams: Ohio native stuck in space returns after nine months on the ISS. Who is she? The meteor shower is best viewed during the darkest hours of the night, after the moon sets and before dawn, according to NASA. For the best view, the space agency recommends finding a place away from city lights. Viewers should bring a blanket or sleeping bag so they can lie flat on their backs, with their feet pointing east, and look up at the sky. After about half an hour, when their eyes adapt to the dark, viewers should start seeing meteors. The show should last until dawn. Meteors are debris from comets or broken asteroids. In the case of the Lyrids, they originate from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, discovered on April 5, 1861, by A. E. Thatcher, according to NASA. Every year, the earth passes through the debris left behind by comets. The pieces of space debris then burn up in the atmosphere, creating fiery bursts or streaks in the sky. The Lyrids appear to originate in the night sky from the area around the constellation Lyra, which is where the meteors get their name. The Eta Aquarids meteor shower is expected to peak this year from May 4 to 5, according to NASA, and will be followed by the big show, the Perseid meteor shower. The Perseids will peak from Aug. 12 to 13 with 50 to 100 meteors per hour, according to NASA. Appearing to originate from the constellation Aquarius, the Eta Aquarids peak in early May each year. The meteors are known for their speed, and they can leave glowing "trains" — bits of debris in their wake — that can last for up to a full minute, according to NASA. The meteors originate from Halley's Comet, which returns every 76 years and was last seen in 1986. The Perseids appear to originate from the constellation Perseus and are considered to be the best meteor shower of the year, according to NASA. At their peak, the Perseids can generate up to 100 meteors per hour. These meteors originate from comet Swift-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 133 years and was last seen in 1992. Swift-Tuttle is large, with a nucleus measuring 16 miles wide. According to NASA, that's nearly twice the size of the object thought to have caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Lyrid meteor showers 2025 peaks tonight. Ohio weather forecast
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Two Meteor Showers Are About to Unleash Their Shooting Stars—Here's How to See Them
Have you always wanted to make a wish on a shooting star? April is a great month to do so, as two impressive meteor showers are currently active—the Lyrids and the Eta Aquarids. Here's everything you need to know about these meteor showers, including how and when to see them. Related: A Newly Discovered Comet is Dazzling Skygazers—Here's How to See It While You Can The Lyrids appear to come from the constellation Lyra and are the result of Earth passing through the tail of comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. The Lyrids are active from April 15 to April 29 and will reach their peak late in the evening on April 21. They are one of the oldest meteor showers, with the first recorded sighting being in 687 BC, NASA reports. The Lyrid meteor shower is known for its fast and bright meteors that have dazzled stargazers for centuries. While it has the potential to produce as many as 100 shooting start every hour, during a typical year, only about 10 to 20 shooting stars are seen per hour. The Lyrids appear to radiate from the area near the star Vega, the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. Per NASA, it is easier to view the Lyrids away from their radiant, as they will appear longer and more spectacular. If you look right at the radiant, the meteors will look short. The Eta Aquarids appear to come from the constellation Aquarius and are the result of Earth passing through debris left behind by Halley's Comet. This meteor shower is active from April 19 to May 28 and is expected to peak on the night of May 5. According to NASA, the Eta Aquarid meteors are known for their speed, with the meteors traveling at about 40.7 miles per second into Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave behind glowing trains that linger for several seconds to minutes. At its peak, 50 shooting stars from the Eta Aquarids can be seen per hour. The Eta Aquarids appear to radiate from the Eta Aquarii star, one of the brightest stars within the constellation Aquarius. According to NASA, this star and the constellation are where the name for the Eta Aquarids comes from. Both meteor showers can be seen from the northern hemisphere, but the Eta Aquarids are most impressive to stargazers in the southern hemisphere. According to NASA, this is because the constellation Aquarius (the radiant of the Eta Aquarids) is higher up in the sky in the southern hemisphere than in the northern hemisphere. To see the Lyrids and the Eta Aquarids, NASA recommends traveling to a location away from city or street lights and air pollution. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up. Once your eyes adjust to the dark, you will be able to see meteors. Read the original article on Martha Stewart
