When can you see the Lyrids meteor shower? 0:49 (CNN) — If you see a shooting star in the night sky later this week, it could be from the Lyrids meteor shower, which will peak overnight around 12 a.m. ET on the 22nd. April, according to EarthSky.
The Lyrids meteor shower, named after the constellation Lyra, will put an end to the “meteor drought,” the period between January and mid-April when no meteor showers light up the sky. A shooting star from the Lyrids meteor shower is observed from the Mingantu Observing Station of the National Astronomical Observatories on April 19, 2021, in Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia. According to the American Meteor Society, the Lyrids will be best seen in the northern hemisphere, in the northeastern sky, at mid-northern latitudes. This area covers the North American region. Observers should find an area away from the light pollution of cities and lie down to see most of the night sky. NASA recommends waiting 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark and make it easier to spot meteors. The Lyrids have been observed for 2,700 years, according to NASA. This shower usually has bright and fast meteors and with a peak of up to 100 meteors seen per hour. However, this year the Moon will be in the waning gibbous phase, which means that more than half of it will shine brightly, so it will only be possible to see the brightest meteors during the early hours of April 22, according to the American Society. of Meteors. Do you want a better view? Try it between the afternoon of April 22 and sunrise on April 23 to see the meteor shower in clearer conditions. The Lyrids tend to have unpredictable surges, so be prepared to see unexpected meteor clusters, according to EarthSky. Observers should also be on the lookout for fireballs or glowing dust trails left behind by meteors. This rain will be active until April 29. After the Lyrids, there are 10 meteor showers that peak in 2022. Here’s a list of the remaining meteor showers to watch out for this year: Eta Aquarids: May 4-5 Southern Delta Aquarids: July 29-30 Alpha Capricornids: July 30-31 Perseids: August 11-12 Orionids: October 20-21 Southern Taurids: November 4-5 Northern Taurids: November 11-12 Leonids: 17-18 November Geminids: December 13-14 Ursids: December 21-22 Lunar and solar eclipses After the Lyrids, the celestial spectacle will continue on April 30, when a partial solar eclipse occurs. The event can be seen in southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean and the Antarctic Peninsula, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Another partial solar eclipse, on October 25, will be visible to people in Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeast Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India, and western China. Neither of the two partial solar eclipses will be visible from North America. Partial solar eclipses occur when the Moon passes in front of the Sun, but only blocks part of its light. Be sure to wear proper glasses to view solar eclipses safely, as direct sunlight can be harmful to your eyes. There will also be two total lunar eclipses in 2022. A total lunar eclipse will be visible to people in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America (except the northwestern regions) between 9:31 p.m. (Miami time) on May 15 and 2:52 a.m. on May 16. Another total lunar eclipse will also be visible to those in Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America, and North America on November 8 between 3:01 a.m. ET and 8:58 a.m. ET, but the Moon will set for those in in the eastern regions of North America. A lunar eclipse can only occur during a full moon when the sun, Earth, and moon align, and the moon passes into Earth’s shadow. The Earth casts two shadows on the Moon during the eclipse. The penumbra is the partial outer shadow, and the umbra is the full, dark shadow. When the full moon enters Earth’s shadow, it darkens but does not disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere illuminates the Moon dramatically, turning it red, which is why it is often referred to as a “blood moon.” Depending on the weather conditions in your area, it may be rust, brick, or blood red. This happens because blue light suffers from greater atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the more dominant color that stands out when sunlight passes through our atmosphere and onto the Moon. Full Moons There are still eight full moons left in 2022, two of them qualified as supermoons. This is the list of the remaining moons this year, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac: May 16: Flower Moon June 14: Strawberry Moon July 13: Deer Moon August 11: Sturgeon Moon September 10 : Harvest Moon October 9: Hunter Moon November 8: Beaver Moon December 7: Cold Moon