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O Total solar eclipse It has come and gone, but skywatchers have reason to keep looking up — a meteor shower will peak this week, just before the full moon rises. The glowing orb may steal some of the Lyrids’ thunder, but experts have some tips on the best way to see the celestial spectacle.
The Lyrid meteor shower will be most active Sunday night through the early morning hours of Monday, according to the American Meteor Society. And April’s full moon, also known as the pink moon, reaches the peak of its full phase in 7:49 p.m. ET Tuesday.
During the peak of the Lyrids, observers typically see up to 18 meteors per hour, but this year the brightness of the moon will interfere with the observation of faint meteors. The rain will be more visible to people in the Northern Hemisphere, said Ashley King, a postdoctoral researcher in planetary sciences at the Natural History Museum in London. The Lyrid radiant, or the point where meteors appear to originate, will not rise high enough in the Southern Hemisphere night sky for high rates of meteors to be seen, he explained.
How to spot a Lyrid meteor
Night owls hoping to see the Lyrids will need to let their eyes adjust by leaving the house at least 10 to 15 minutes before trying to spot a meteor, King added. Because meteors can appear all over the sky, experts do not recommend using a telescope or binoculars due to the devices’ small fields of view, according to NASA.
“The best time to go out (to see a meteor) is very early in the morning, before the sun comes up,” King said. “If you can get somewhere dark and possibly get up high so you can see a lot of the sky, that’s ideal.”
The Lyrids aren’t known for being the fastest or brightest meteors, but the shower can still provide a worthwhile celestial light show – and there’s always a chance for surprises.
“You never know exactly what you’re going to see, and seeing a meteor is a great way to see what’s going on and see if the solar system is active,” King said. “In a way, (when you see a meteor) you are looking at… some of the oldest materials that formed in the solar system.”
Look to the sky for the pink moon
The pink moon will be visible to everyone around the world as Earth’s natural satellite will appear to be full for a few days.
Despite its name, this full moon will be similar to any other, said Paul Hayne, a planetary scientist at the University of Colorado in Boulder. Any full moon can occasionally take on a reddish hue when near the horizon, due to light passing through Earth’s atmosphere.
The pink moon actually got its nickname due to its annual appearance not long after the start of spring, just like its namesake, a hot pink wildflower called Phlox subulata which blooms in early spring, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac.
It’s best to view the full moon with binoculars, or even just the naked eye, as it may be too bright to see through a telescope, Hayne said.
“Our closest celestial neighbor has played a prominent role in both human mythologies and the evolution of life on Earth. It is also one of the most beautiful sights in the night sky that can be seen without a telescope,” Hayne said in an email. “Looking at the full moon is a great opportunity to remind ourselves of the vastness of space and our connection to the cosmos.”
More full moons this year
Of the 12 full moons in 2024, the September and October lunar events will be supermoons, according to Earthly Heaven.
Definitions of a supermoon can vary, but the term generally denotes a full moon that is closer to Earth than usual and therefore appears larger and brighter in the night sky. Some astronomers say the phenomenon occurs when the Moon is 90% of perigee – its closest approach to Earth in orbit.
Here are the remaining full moons of 2024:
• May 23: Flowery moon
• June 21: Strawberry Moon
• July 21: Buck Moon
• August 19: Sturgeon Moon
• September 17: full moon
• October 17: Hunter’s Moon
• November 15: Beaver Moon
• December 15: Cold Moon
2024 meteor showers
Skywatchers can expect a plethora of meteor showers to come this year, according to the American Meteor Society. Here are the dates when meteor events are expected to peak.
• Eta Aquariids: May 4th to 5th
• South Delta Aquarids: July 29th to 30th
• Alpha Capricornids: July 30th to 31st
• Perseids: August 11th to 12th
• Draconids: October 7th to 8th
• Orionids: October 20th to 21st
• Southern Taurids: November 4th to 5th
• North Taurids: November 11th to 12th
• Leonidas: November 17th to 18th
• Geminids: December 13th to 14th
• Ursids: December 21st to 22nd
Solar and lunar eclipses
Although the most anticipated eclipse event of 2024 was the total solar eclipse on April 8an annular solar eclipse will occur on October 2 parts of South America. In this type of eclipse, the Moon is at the furthest point from Earth within its orbit as it passes between our planet and the Sun, so it cannot completely block the fiery orb. Instead, an annular solar eclipse creates a “ring of fire” in the sky as the Sun’s light surrounds the Moon.
Meanwhile, a partial lunar eclipse will appear over Europe and much of Asia, Africa, North America and South America between September 17th and 18th. During this event, the Earth moves between the Sun and the full Moon in almost perfect alignment, causing the Earth’s shadow. to obscure a portion of the lunar surface for those in the eclipse’s path.
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