Jean in Wisc Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Lyrid meteor shower tonight! Meteor showers are normally caused by earth crossing the path of a comet (otherwise known as a dirty snowball) which, when flying past the sun, began to melt, leaving small particles behind. Most of the particles that hit our atmosphere are no larger than a pea, but they heat up the atmosphere around them to such a degree that we see them streaking across the sky. It is not until after midnight that the earth is turned into the path of the comet, so if you go out early in the evening, you may see some meteors but not as many as you would later in the night. The best way to enjoy them is to throw a blanket on the ground and lie down so that you can see as much of the sky as possible. I plan to set my alarm for early morning to see if the skies are clear. Learn more about the Lyrids here: http://earthsky.org/es-tonight/lyrid-meteors-moon-and-mars Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy in TX Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Thank you Jean. We're usually up quite late, so we'll go out and look! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeaTotaler Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Thanks, Jean. I thought of you while I was listening to Jay Ryan speak at the Cincy Convention. I am hoping to be more educated about the whole field of astronomy. Having grown up in major city I am sorely lacking in this area. Thankfully dh is interested in and knows a whole lot more but he is drowning in work :-( Take care. Lyrid meteor shower tonight! Meteor showers are normally caused by earth crossing the path of a comet (otherwise known as a dirty snowball) which, when flying past the sun, began to melt, leaving small particles behind. Most of the particles that hit our atmosphere are no larger than a pea, but they heat up the atmosphere around them to such a degree that we see them streaking across the sky. It is not until after midnight that the earth is turned into the path of the comet, so if you go out early in the evening, you may see some meteors but not as many as you would later in the night. The best way to enjoy them is to throw a blanket on the ground and lie down so that you can see as much of the sky as possible. I plan to set my alarm for early morning to see if the skies are clear. Learn more about the Lyrids here: http://earthsky.org/es-tonight/lyrid-meteors-moon-and-mars Jean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Storm Bay Posted April 21, 2010 Share Posted April 21, 2010 Thanks, I'll show this to dh. He's the astrology buff in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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