The first major meteor shower of 2021 will soon add a bit of flare to the night sky as the Lyrids make their annual return. But the shooting stars are likely to be overshadowed by another upcoming celestial event – the ‘pink supermoon’ that will glow on April 26.
April’s full pink moon is the first of three consecutive supermonths to appear in the sky this year.
Despite the nickname, the moon will not look pink. The name simply refers to the pink flowers that begin to bloom this time of year.
Three consecutive months in 2021 contain complete “supermoons”, which are closer and brighter than typical full moons. Here’s a supermoon that rose above homes in Ocean County in 2016.Thanks to Teri Abramson
A ‘supermoon’ is a moon that fills when its orbit follows closer to the earth than an average full moon. It appears to be 7% to 14% larger and up to 30% brighter than ordinary full moons, especially if it starts rising above the horizon or if atmospheric conditions are ideal.
There is some debate in the astronomy community about the distance that a full moon orbit of our planet must be in order to be classified as a supermoon. Many experts believe that a supermoon is a full moon that locates less than 223,000 miles from the earth at the nearest point of its orbit, known as the perigee.
Some use 223,694 miles (which is 360,000 kilometers) as a measure of supermoons, while others have a looser definition and say that every full moon that is less than 226,000 miles from our planet can be classified as a supermoon.
The moon of April, according to EarthSky, will be 222,212 miles from Earth when it becomes full. org. Whether you follow the stricter definition or the looser definition, it fits the bill of a supermoon.
When to See the Lyrid Meteor Rain
The Lyrid meteor showers occur in April each year, beginning around April 16 and meandering around April 25.
According to astronomers from AccuWeather and EarthSky. org.
“The next morning (April 23) could also be good if you have a game,” EarthSky notes.
In dark rural areas, under a moonless sky, stargazers can usually see 10 to 20 meteors per hour hovering over the sky when the Lyrid meteor series reaches a peak. The number is reduced every hour in urban areas and other places full of street lights and other bright lights to just a handful of meteors.
One lesion on the Lyrid shower this year: it is expected to peak when the moon is about two-thirds full, so that the brightness of the moon can limit the number of meteors that are clearly visible when they shoot across the sky.
Technically, the moon will be 63% full on the evening of April 21 and 73% full the next night, according to MoonGiant.com. It’s better than a full moon, but can still generate enough light to spoil part of the air show.
It is noteworthy: the moon will set on April 21 at around 03:25 Eastern time and only before four o’clock on April 22, so early risers should have a good chance of getting a few stars a few hours before the sun begins to rise. to see. Sunrise takes place at 21:07 on April 21 and 06:06 on April 22 in the New York City area.
Shooting stars from the Lyrid meteor shower are actually small dust particles that form the tail of an old comet called Comet Thatcher. AccuWeather
Where do the Lyrid meteors come from?
According to NASA, the Lyrid meteor shower is one of the oldest recorded, and these meteors are fast and clear.
The shooting stars of the Lyrid are actually small dust particles that make up the tail of an old comet called Comet Thatcher. The namesake is an amateur astronomer from New York, AE Thatcher, who discovered the comet in 1861.
“When comets come around the sun, the dust they emit gradually spreads in a dusty track around their orbits,” NASA notes. “Every year, the earth passes through these waste roads, causing the pieces to collide with our atmosphere, where it crumbles to create fiery and colorful streaks in the air.”
From our vantage point here on earth, it looks like meteors in the Lyrid shower are shooting out from the star Vega – the brightest star in the constellation Lyra. This is how the name Lyrid evolved.
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Len Melisurgo can be reached at [email protected].