Once the Lyrid Meteor Shower reaches its peak, you have a chance to see the first shooter star of spring.
Lilid has surprised the Skygator with up to 100 meteors per hour in the past, but this time it is not predicted to be that active.
Thaddeus Lacoursiere, planetarium program coordinator at Bell Museum in St. Paul, Minnesota, expects to see around six meteors per hour at peak Tuesday morning.
The declined crescent moon is 40%, meaning a decent level of vision under clear, dark conditions.
Viewing will continue until April 26th. Here are some things you need to know about Lilid and other meteor showers.
What is a Meteor Shower?
When Earth orbits the Sun, it passes through fragments left behind by passing through comets and sometimes asteroids several times a year. The source of Lilid is a fragment from Thatcher’s comet.
As these rapidly moving space rocks enter the Earth’s atmosphere, the fragments encounter new resistance from the air, becoming extremely hot and eventually burning.
Sometimes the surrounding air glows for a short time, leaving a fiery tail – the edge of the “shooting star.”
You don’t need any special equipment to see the various meteor showers that flash each year, away from the city’s lighting.
Meteorologists say the spectacular sight is considered to be the meteor of the annual Geminid meteor shower
How to view the Meteor Shower
The best time to see meteor showers is early when the moon is held at a low time in the sky.
Competing light sources, such as bright moons and artificial glows, are the main obstacles to the clear field of vision of meteors. A cloudless night with a small moon is the perfect opportunity to watch.
And keep looking up. If you haven’t checked your phone, your eyes are good to find a shooting star.
When will the next meteor shower be?
The next major meteor shower, ETA Aquarido, peaks in early May.
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The Associated Press School of Health Sciences is supported by the Science and Education Media Group at Howard Hughes Medical Institutions. AP is solely responsible for all content.
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