A meteor shower is set to light up the skies of Laramie and the rest of the northern hemisphere in April. This meteor shower, known as the “Lyrids” due to their appearance coming from the constellation Lyra, typically takes place from around April 22-23 every year.
The shower is a result of long-period comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. As it passed close to the Sun in 1861, Thatcher released a cloud of small dust and debris, which remains in space to this day. When Earth passes through this debris field, we see a meteor shower in the sky.
The Lyrids themselves are one of the more spectacular meteor showers caused by long-period comets, because of their relatively short orbital period around the Sun of 415 years. While Thatcher itself won’t be visible until the year 2283, where it will likely intensify the meteor shower’s effects again, the Lyrids will continue every year as they have since their first recorded mention in 687 BC.
As always with space-related objects, Laramie is a great place to be on the lookout for them. Our low light pollution combined with our clear mountain air and high altitude allows us to get looks at things that might look less bright from somewhere like Denver. Unfortunately for all of us this year, it looks like it will be nearly a full moon when the meteor shower takes place, meaning that fewer meteors may be less visible than in a year with a new moon. Don’t let this discourage you, however! There will still be a portion of the night where the Moon will be beneath the horizon, allowing for unobstructed views of the Lyrids.
If you’re looking to go out and see the Lyrids, make sure to follow the standard rules of anything to do with amateur astronomy. First, try bringing binoculars! They’ll make for an even more special viewing experience, and I’m sure that many families in Laramie will have a pair of old binoculars lying around. Any pair will do! Secondly, make sure to try to get away from the city lights in Laramie. While we may not have much light pollution, getting even 20 minutes outside of town can help your viewing experience by a huge magnitude. Going along with this, make sure not to be scrolling on your phone all night! In addition to not being a great way to spend a meteor shower, looking at your phone destroys your dark vision, and it can take up to 20 minutes to fully recover from this. For the best views, keep the phone light to a minimum. Lastly, try installing a star-finder app on your phone if you’re new to astronomy. It can help you find where the constellation Lyra is, and where the meteors will be coming from.
If you have any questions regarding viewing the Lyrid meteor shower, make sure to reach out to the UWYO Astronomy Club at (720)-532-5017. They would be happy to answer any questions and prospective viewers might have about getting the best experience! And as always, make sure to have fun out in the field.
