Get Ready For The Lyrid Meteor Shower To Light Up The Indiana Night Sky Again
As the months get warmer, we have a lot of intriguing events in the night sky to look forward to. However, it’s time again for the fabulous Lyrid meteor shower to brighten up the skies over the Hoosier state, as well as in much of the North American skies. For those who love watching the night sky, the Lyrid meteor shower in Indiana is a great opportunity to do so.
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The Lyrid meteor shower occurs annually, when the earth passes through debris from C/1861 G1 Thatcher, a periodic comet, just as it has for over 2,600 years (and counting).
Typically, it is active from April 16th through April 25th, though you may catch some early bird or late-start meteors on the days before and after the official shower timeframe.
The Lyrid shower is a little more low-key than others we're treated to during the year, like the Perseids, for example.
At its peak, the Lyrid meteor shower produces up to 18 meteors per hour. This equals out to around one meteor every 3-4 minutes, though that can easily vary, of course.
Ideal viewing of the Lyrid meteor shower is from the northern hemisphere, so we here in the Hoosier State are in luck.
The shower peaks in the early morning hours of April 22, 2021, and the best time to view the shower is right around 6 a.m., just before the sun comes up and when the radiant point of the shower is at its highest position in the sky.
The shower will not be visible in Indiana skies prior to 9:28 p.m., nor will it be viewable after 6:29 a.m.
The coming full moon may also present an issue when trying to appreciate this meteor shower, as the moon will be about 68% full and the light will be bright.
To get around this issue, you can always check what time the moon sets - like the sunset, the moonset is also predictable down to the minute, and if you go outside once the moon has set for the night (or morning), the sky will be much darker and thus more ideal for viewing.
Of course, this is all also hoping that there are no spring storms or showers in our neighborhoods, which can totally dampen (see what we did there?) your chances of being able to watch the Lyrid meteor shower this year.
Sure, when compared to other annual meteor showers, the Lyrids could come across as underwhelming, but we disagree.
There's something fun about waiting with bated breath for the next shooting star to careen across the sky. They may not come as frequently during this shower, but it's still worth a look.
The Lyrid shower makes up for its lower number of meteors by making the ones that do appear bright and fiery.
Your chances of seeing fireball meteors, also known as those enormous and bright ones that glow brilliantly and often have a "tail" of their own as they seem to make it all the way to Earth, is pretty good with this event. So set up shop under the open sky and look up for a while - you won't regret it, and we think it's definitely time well spent.
Okay, so when it comes to meteor showers in Indiana, again, this one is more on the low-key side; we’re sure, though, that once you see the first meteors streak across the sky, you’ll be hooked, and you’ll be tempted to watch for hours. We don’t blame you – we’ll probably be doing the same.
Interested in more reasons to look up at the night sky this spring? Check this article out to learn about earthshine, and how to see it.
What’s your favorite meteor shower of the year? When is it? Tell us your picks in the comments.
Tori Jane Ostberg plays with tornadoes for fun. When she's not out chasing the biggest and baddest storms mama nature has to offer, she can usually be found writing something, somewhere, or exploring the desert southwest with her camera.
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