Annual meteor shower lights the sky this week | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy  5.5°C

Kamloops News

Annual meteor shower lights the sky this week

The Lyrid meteor shower will fill the sky with 'shooting stars' early next week.
Image Credit: Earthsky.org

THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - Next week do yourself a favour and spend an early morning under the falling stars.

The annual Lyrid meteor shower, during which you could see dozens of 'shooting stars', runs from about April 16-25 this year.

While there is a chance of seeing the meteors on the days leading up to and after the peak experts say the best time to watch the April meteor shower, known for leaving trails that resemble shooting stars, is the morning of April 22. On average 10-20 meteors per hour can be expected during the peak but uncommon surges can result in as many as 100 per hour.

The few hours before dawn are the best time to watch for the meteors in the eastern sky. Moonless nights are considered optimal when watch meteor showers and the waning quarter moon during this year's peak could interfere slightly with visibility. Most of the Lyrid meteors however should be bright enough to be seen during moonlight hours. 

A new meteor shower from the comet LINEAR is also being predicted for next month. The comet was discovered just 10 years ago and NASA meteor experts predict it will pass near the sun again in early May, which could result in a ‘sandblasting’ of debris that could result in a great display.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

News from © iNFOnews, 2014
iNFOnews

  • Popular penticton News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile