Week of April 19-25, 2020

With springtime well underway, now's a great time to "self-isolate" far from other people and the blinding lights of large cities to enjoy the sky in its true splendor. And what a great time to begin searching for "falling" or "shooting" stars, known to astronomers as "meteors."

I'm always amazed at the surprised reactions of folks when they spot one. Meteors are not all that uncommon; on any clear, dark night, the average person can often spot three or four every hour if they're paying attention. But then there are times of the year when one can see more than usual, all appearing to fall from roughly the same direction. At those times, we're treated to a meteor shower.

The most famous of all meteor showers is the Perseid shower in mid-August. True, it's quite a dramatic show, but I suspect it's a favorite because it occurs during midsummer when the weather is warm, and we can watch it conveniently.

There's no need to wait until August, however, since meteor showers occur frequently throughout the year. This week features the Lyrid shower; it should reach its peak before dawn on Wednesday, April 22, but stargazers might just catch sight of a few meteors flashing across the heavens the night before.

The Lyrid shower occurs when the Earth slams into the dusty debris ejected by the ancient comet Thatcher. As dramatic as a meteor might appear, it mostly consists of specks no larger than a sand grain that plunge into our atmosphere from space and disintegrate at heights of 50 miles or so.

This week, if the sky is clear and dark, you may spot as many as 20 meteors falling each hour before dawn. These can appear all over the sky, but you can determine if one is part of the Lyrid swarm by tracing its path backward; if it appears to come from the direction of the constellation Lyra — not far from the bright star Vega in the northeastern sky — it's almost certainly part of the Lyrid swarm. Otherwise, it's what astronomers call a "sporadic" meteor — a random fleck of cosmic dust that just happens to collide with our planet while we watch.

To enjoy the sky show, plan on observing far from city lights; even light from suburban areas can block our view of meteors. Many people camp in the mountains or wilderness, or set up on side roads away from traffic. Be sure to take a lawn chair or sleeping bag and a blanket or hot chocolate to keep warm. Then, gaze toward the northeastern sky.

You need no equipment to enjoy the show; the best tools for observing such showers are your own eyes. The Lyrids typically produce bright, fast meteors, and about 15% leave behind persistent smoky trains that one can watch with binoculars for many minutes after the meteor itself has disappeared.

Despite the Lyrids' relatively small numbers, this shower can surprise. On occasion, stargazers are treated to an impressive display of more than 50 per hour, as they were in 1803, 1922 and 1982. Will this happen again in this week's sky?

There's only one way to find out!

The Lyrid shower occurs when the Earth slams into the dusty debris ejected by the ancient comet Thatcher.

Visit and follow Dennis Mammana at facebook.com/DennisMammana. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.