Lyrics: peak of the « rain » of meteorites – how to watch them
After months without a meteor rain, the lyrics are here to start the season. Lyrics adorn the sky since April 17 and will remain until Saturday. Their climax is Monday to Tuesday, according to the US Meteora company, as CNN cites.
In a completely dark sky without light pollution, viewers can usually detect up to 18 meteorites per hour during the rumor of the rain of the lyrics. This year, however, the light from the descending crescent will make it a little more difficult to view the phenomenon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHVXQCIMOFG
« Most meteorites you see (during a barrier of lyric) are not bright spheres of fire – they are faintly small streaks – and the more moonlight there is, tends to rinse these faintly small streaks, » said Dr.
« Meteor observation is one of these things where you need to take your time, » says the expert.
Give your eyes to adapt to the dark and don’t look at your mobile
For the optimum observation experience, Cook recommends lying out somewhere with little light pollution and give your eyes about 30 minutes to adapt to the dark.
« The other important thing is: Don’t look at your cellphone, because the bright screen destroys your night vision, » Cook said. « And pulls your eyes out of heaven. »
More on lyrics
Tactical meteor rains occur throughout the year, as the Earth passes through a field of debris leaving comets and asteroids, said Shannon Smol, director of the Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University.
The lyrics come from the parent comet C/1861 G1 (Thatcher), which is about halfway through its 415 -year -old orbit around the sun. While the comet Thatcher was discovered in 1861, the lyrics have been observed for 2,700 years, making them one of the oldest known meteor rains, according to NASA.
The best time to see the lyrics is when the lyre, the constellation of the northern hemisphere from which the Meteora appears to be radiating (coming) above the horizon, according to Earthsky.
What happens during a meteor rain?
As the comet travels, he leaves in his passage a trace of ice and dust moving for thousands of miles per hour, said astronomer Dean Rengas (a Greek -American child, Greek surname Rigas).
« The meteorites beat the atmosphere (of the earth) and slow down, and this transmits heat. This is the glow you see, « Rengas said.
« Most of the material from the rains of the measures, the pieces of the comets, will burn before they reach the ground, and many of them are about the size of a grain of sand. So it’s really impressive to see something so small to light up like that. «
Meteor’s “explosion” is expected in… 17 years
While lyrics tend to be relatively predictable each year, occasionally exceed expectations.
« Explosions » of 100 meteors per hour occur, an average of about 60 years. The next « explosion » is expected around 2042, according to the US Meteora company.
« It is not completely known what causes these explosions, but it is believed that other planets and objects affect the density of debris as they cross, » Smol said.
