Observing 2017 Lyrids meteor shower

After three months of low rates, April ushers in two major showers (Lyrids and eta Aquariids) and a temporary upswing in meteor activity. The first of these showers is the Lyrids, which are active from April 18 through the 25th. Activity for this shower is low away from the peak night which expected to occur on Saturday April 22. Peak rates are predicted to occur near 17:00 Universal Time on April 22. Since these times occur during daylight hours in Europe your best rates will be seen during the morning hours of both the 22nd and the 23rd.

On the night of maximum activity the Lyrid radiant is actually located in eastern Hercules, seven degrees southwest of the brilliant star Vega (Alpha Lyrae). This area of the sky lies near or below the horizon during the early evening hours, depending on your latitude. It attains a decent elevation after midnight and is best situated high in a dark sky just before the start of morning twilight. These are the best times in which to try and view Lyrid activity. Normal Lyrid activity produces around 15 shower members per hour at maximum. While the Lyrids are not the strongest shower, it is notable that shower members will occasionally reach fireball intensity.

On the night of maximum activity the moon will be at its waning crescent phase and will be located in the constellation of Aquarius. Although the crescent phase is thin, it will still be bright enough to be a nuisance. It would be best to face toward the northern half of the sky with the moon at your back. This will allow you to see the fainter Lyrids, which will be more numerous than the bright ones. Observers in the Southern Hemisphere will see very little Lyrid activity as the radiant will be located low in the northern sky. All Lyrid meteors will trace back to the radiant area in eastern Hercules. There will be other showers and random activity visible during this period so not all meteors will be members of the Lyrid shower. Lyrid meteors will appear to travel swiftly through the sky unless they are seen near the radiant or near the horizon. Lyrids seen there will move more slowly as they are moving towards you (if seen near the radiant) or away from you (if seen near the horizon).

The Lyrids are particles from Comet Thatcher (C/1861 G1). This comet has an orbital period of 415 years and the last time it was a perihelion was back in 1861. This shower has produced several notable outbursts. These occurred in the years 1803, 1849, 1850, 1884, 1922, 1945, and 1982. The 1803 event seems to the strongest as rates exceeded 500 Lyrids per hour at maximum. The 1982 event was seen from eastern USA where rates were estimated near 100 per hour at maximum. I witnessed the final portions of this outburst as I drove out to dark sky site. Lyrid meteors were seen shooting upward from the northeastern horizon. Once I arrived at my site the outburst was over and very little activity was seen the remainder of the night. The next possible outburst for this shower is predicted to occur in 2040 and 2041.

Let us know what you see in 2017!