Tag Archives: fireballs

Ancient Fireballs: The Lyrids Meteor Shower Tonight – Don’t Miss Out on the Spectacular Display!

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Every April, the Lilid Meteor Shower returns to our sky, offering the chance to get a glimpse of the fireballs across the sky.

Though not the most prolific meteor exhibit of the year, Lilid is a welcome treat for Stargazer.

All you need to know about Lilid in 2025 is when to look up, what to expect, how to get the best views and more.

When is Lyrid Meteor Shower 2025?

Lilid will be active from April 15th to 25th, 2025, and peak activity is expected on the evening of April 22nd early on April 23rd.

Your best bet is to still go out before dawn on April 23rd. The radiation point (the part of the sky where the meteor appears to come from) is the best.

Where to see Lilid

Lilids are emitted from the constellation Lyra, located near the bright star Vega, one of the easiest stars in the Northern Hemisphere.

Look east or northeast after midnight and let your eyes clean the sky. Meteors may appear in any direction rather than near meteors.

No telescopes or binoculars are required. In fact, it’s better to see the meteor shower with the naked eye and be able to take in as many sky as possible.

read more:

  • Can you hear the meteor?
  • Meteors, Asteroids, Comets: What’s the difference?
  • How can you tell that a metstone comes from a particular planet?

How many meteors are there?

Under a dark moonless sky, Lilids usually produce 10-15 meteors per hour, but sudden bursts can produce up to 100.

Lilid is known for being quick and sometimes bright, with strange fireballs thrown in properly.

The month around this time will pass the third quarter, so if it rises it will be very bright. Thankfully, this won’t last until around 4am (US and UK). This means you’ll get unobstructed meteor monitoring for hours.

Laila’s constellation. Vega is a bright star in the top right. – Getty

What causes the Lyrid Meteor Shower?

The Lyrid meteor is caused by the Earth passing through the traces of debris left by Comet Thatcher. It finally reached the approach closest to the sun in 1861, so it takes a long time to wait until our path comes again (c. 2276).

When comet dust and rock fragments collide at high speed in the atmosphere (approximately 50 km/s), they burn out and create stripes of light seen from the ground.

Lilid is actually one of the oldest recorded meteor showers. Chinese astronomers observed them over two to six hundred years ago.

Tips for viewing lyrids

Catching a meteor shower is not complicated, but some wise strategies can make all the difference.

  • Find a dark place It’s quite far from the city lights – less light pollution, the better.
  • Give me time to adjust my eyes In the darkness. It can take 20-30 minutes to see the sky at its best.
  • Wear warm clothesEven in spring. The temperature in the early morning can be chilly.
  • Lie down It allows you to comfortably scan the sky on a blanket or reclining chair.
  • be patient – Meteors have bursts and may take some time to catch good ones.

If you’re having trouble finding the sky you need, Technology helps. “Star Map apps like Sky Guide, Star Walk 2, and Stellarium will help you find Sky Vega and Lyra using your phone.” Dr. Sham Balajia researcher in space particle physics and cosmology at King’s College London.

“Many apps use augmented reality, so just point your phone in the sky and you’ll see where to look.”

Is this the best meteor shower of the year?

Not at all – that title is usually sent to Persade in August or Geminid in December.

However, Lilid is the first decent meteor shower for Northern Hemisphere observers, and could be surprisingly dramatic.

Additionally, for the UK people, they arrive during school holidays. So, if the sky is clear, it’s the perfect excuse to make a late family stargaze.

read more:

  • Can you hear the meteor?
  • Meteors, Asteroids, Comets: What’s the difference?
  • How can you tell that a metstone comes from a particular planet?

Source: www.sciencefocus.com

Amazing Fireballs Light Up the Sky in Mexico City, Sparking Awe and Memes Galore

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Bright objects falling from space lit up the sky in the Mexican capital around 3am on Wednesday, spreading over plains, volcanoes, and small towns.

Videos of a fireball that streaked across a Latin American country and exploded into a burst of light in Mexico City captured the attention of many.

“No, the meteorite that exploded last night is not a reason to reach out to your ex,” someone tweeted. Meteor shower.

Soon, the internet was filled with edited images of fireballs featuring cartoon characters and political jokes.

Bright objects illuminate the sky in Mexico City early on Wednesday.webcamsmx via AP

Mexican scientists quickly realized that the object streaking across the sky was not a meteorite but a bolido. This was Bolido.

Bolido, as defined by NASA, is “a very bright meteor that is spectacular enough to be seen over a large area.”

Mario Rodriguez, a space science researcher at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, explained that it could be classified as a meteor or a fragment of one.

Bolido, resembling a shooting star, creates a fire as it descends through the Mexican skies in the early hours of Wednesday.

“Due to the high pressure on the object, they begin to flare up with their trailing tails and emit light,” Rodriguez stated, part of a team of scientists analyzing the video that amazed many Mexicans. He added that unlike meteorites impacting the Earth, bolidos disintegrate in the atmosphere.

According to him, this particular meteor was around five feet long and posed no danger to the public.

Source: www.nbcnews.com

How to Watch the Lyrid Meteor Shower in 2024: Witness the Spectacular Fireballs Tonight

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The Lyrids, the first major meteor shower of the year, will be gracing us with fireballs tonight if luck is on our side.

Although this year’s conditions are not ideal due to the peak of the meteor shower coinciding with a full moon, the Lyrid meteor shower still has the potential to produce fireballs, similar to the more famous Perseid meteor shower (mid-July to August).

One of the oldest known meteor showers, with observations dating back over 2,700 years, the Lyrids were first reported by Chinese astronomers who observed the constellation Lyra. The sky experienced significant meteoric activity in 687 BC, 1803, and 1833.

To increase your chances of spotting the Lyrid meteor shower, understand what causes it, and know where to look, this guide provides valuable insights.

If unfavorable weather affects your viewing experience this year, consider checking out our astrophotography guide to capture stunning moon photos.

When will the Lyrid meteor shower be visible in 2024?

The peak time to witness the Lyrid meteor shower in 2024 is Monday night (April 22-23) in the UK and US regions. However, the nearly full moon on the night of April 23-24 will reduce visibility. Ideal viewing conditions are in the hours before dawn.

The Lyrid meteor shower will be visible from April 14, 2024, extending until April 30, following a yearly recurrence pattern.

Where to look to find Lyrid

The Lyra radiant, where meteors seem to originate, is situated in the Lyra constellation.

During the shower’s peak, the Lyra radiant ascends higher as the night progresses, enhancing the chance of spotting shooting stars and ensuring they don’t disappear beneath the horizon. Look for meteors about two-thirds up in the sky at a 60-degree altitude and a short distance from the radiant. Enhanced visibility can be achieved by including more sky in your field of view.

Lyra is a compact constellation nestled between the Summer Triangle and Hercules constellations, featuring the distinctive star Vega as part of its makeup.

Efficient star hopping techniques can aid in locating Lyra.

  1. First, identify the summer triangle asterism that includes Vega from the Lyra constellation, Altair from Aquila, and Deneb from Cygnus. This triangle becomes prominent in the April evening sky.
  2. Spot Vega: As the brightest star in Lyra, Vega acts as a marker for locating the constellation being sought. Its piercing brightness makes Vega easily identifiable.
  3. Follow the Lyra star pattern: Once Vega is found, identify the parallelogram shape forming the body of Lyra with Vega as one of its corners. Imagination can help visualize the rest of the constellation resembling a small harp or lyre.

If all else fails, using astronomy apps on your phone with a red light filter can be beneficial in identifying celestial objects.

How visible will Lyra be?

The almost full moon during the peak of the Lyrid meteor shower on April 22-23 poses a visibility challenge. Moon glare diminishes the visibility of meteors, stars, planets, and constellations. Dark adaptation of eyes is hindered by excessive moonlight, necessitating around 10-20 minutes for optimal vision adjustment.

Despite the lunar interference, spotting brighter meteors, including fireballs, remains a possibility during this year’s Lyrid meteor shower.

How many meteors can we actually see?

Under optimal conditions with minimal light pollution and close to 18 meteors per hour, meteor visibility varies annually, with an average of 10 to 20 sightings. However, this year’s bright moon will significantly reduce the number of visible meteors to around three to four per hour.

Dr. Darren Baskill, an astrophysicist from the University of Sussex, explains that the Perseid shower in mid-August, without moonlight interference, offers a meteor every five minutes in urban areas and up to one meteor per minute in dark environments.

What causes the Lyrid meteor shower?

Meteor showers occur as Earth crosses paths with debris left behind by comets and asteroids. As this debris orbits the sun, Earth’s orbit intersects, resulting in the combustion of tiny particles in the atmosphere, creating meteoric streaks.

Most meteor-producing particles are as small as grains of sand, but larger fragments can produce fireballs. The “peak” of a meteor shower denotes the densest part of the stream, resulting in higher meteor visibility.

The Lyrid meteor shower is notable for its fast and bright meteors that often leave lasting trails in the sky, aiding visibility against moon interference.

The Lyra comet and mother object of the Lyrids, C/1861 G1 Thatcher, is a long-period comet with a 415.5-year orbit around the sun. With its last perihelion in 1861, it will be a long wait until its return (around 2276).

Lyrid meteor shower: Viewing tips

To improve your chances of viewing the Lyrid meteor shower:

  • Reduce light pollution: Choose locations away from bright lights and ensure minimal light obstructs your view.
  • Allow night vision adjustment: Let your eyes adapt to darkness, even if moonlight interferes, for better perception of the surroundings.
  • Obstruct the moon: Opt for locations where foliage or buildings obscure the moon for clearer views.
  • Watch for Meteor Trains: Meteor trains can linger after a meteor, enhancing visibility.
  • Use a red light filter: Employ red light filters for devices to maintain night vision.
  • Be vigilant for fireballs: Fireballs are rare but possible during the Lyrid meteor shower and are worth watching for.

About our experts

Dr. Darren Baskill is an outreach officer and lecturer in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Sussex. With prior experience at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, he organized the annual Astronomical Photographer of the Year competition.

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Source: www.sciencefocus.com