The Lyrids Are Coming! 186
SeaDour writes "The year's first meteor shower, the Lyrids, will peak in the pre-dawn hours of April 22nd when the Earth plows through the debris trail of Comet Thatcher at a relative velocity of 49 km/s (110,000 mph). Lyrids usually aren't as numerous as other showers (such as the famed Leonids), but they're well-known for their spectacular tails; you can expect to see about 5-20 meteors per hour, depending on the severity of your local light pollution. Unfortunately, my current location in the midwest under stormy skies puts me at a bit of a disposition, but hopefully some other Slashdotters can share their observations with us tomorrow."
Well, if you host a dinner party to watch them... (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Well, if you host a dinner party to watch them. (Score:1)
Definately funny.
Re:Well, if you host a dinner party to watch them. (Score:2)
"I'm allergic to bivalves. A good host should know such things about his guests."
"Next time I'll remember to cater to your shellfish demands."
Good episode.
Sooner warning would have been nice (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Sooner warning would have been nice (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Sooner warning would have been nice (Score:2, Funny)
Well...well....my Level 478 wizard with +42 dexterity could cast a really nasty spell on you, and I have more comic books than you! Oh, and my Star Wars figures are in mint condition (unlike yours), as are my Transformers, and I installed Linux on my toaster. Stick that in your pipe, GEEK BOY.
Re:You're new around here, aren't you? (Score:2)
Damn Storms. (Score:1)
The thing that pisses me off is that I live about 30 miles from the nearest _town_ so I would have had an awesome show. Pity.
Re:Damn Storms. (Score:2)
I missed the Northern Lights about six times a few months ago when it seemed like /. had an article about them every other day. Every time it happened we had a complete overcast. That just a little bit demoralizing as I've never seen them in my entire life. Guess I'll still have to go to Alaska after all.
Re:Damn Storms. (Score:1)
Re:Damn Storms. (Score:2)
-cp-
A bit of a disposition? (Score:5, Funny)
Wow, that's really condition. I feel really emotion for you, salutation. Perhaps the condition will become adjective, and you'll be affected.
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:1)
grammar nazis (Score:3, Funny)
but a grammar nazi with a sense of humor?
different beast altogether
Re:grammar nazis (Score:1)
Re:grammar nazis (Score:2, Funny)
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:1)
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:1)
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:1, Funny)
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:2)
Check out item number 5 on the list!!
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:2)
"Unfortunately, my current location in the midwest, under stormy skies, puts me in a bit of a disposition."
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:1)
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:2)
Re:A bit of a disposition? (Score:2)
Sheer beauty (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Sheer beauty (Score:3, Funny)
Ho hum (Score:2, Interesting)
Now that I've quit all that stuff, they just don't excite me anymore :(
Re:Ho hum (Score:3, Funny)
Funny, now that you've stopped taking drugs you aren't very exciting either.
Re:Ho hum (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Ho hum (Score:1)
Thatcher (Score:3, Funny)
I've been waiting years to see this... Thatcher falling from the sky in a ball of flames!
What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:2, Insightful)
Not that I wish to invite flaming, but 'before dawn' is a highly relative concept for a site like
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:3, Informative)
Missed the 3rd paragraph I take it?
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:5, Informative)
The Lyrids are best seen between about 2 a.m. and daybreak local time, regardless of where you live, astronomers say.
City and suburban dwellers will see significantly fewer of the meteors than those in rural areas away from all light pollution. The shower is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
My bad (Score:2)
Re:My bad (Score:1)
My understanding is that it is pretty much correct. The Earth is actually passing through a trail of particles left by a comet and would be totally engulfed. Many of these particles may only be the size of a grain of sand and may not be visible when they burn up in the atmosphere. With a the moon in a new ph
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:5, Informative)
Except the FAIW
The shower is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere
From the
The Lyrids are a northern shower, but can be observed by most mainland Australians. The best time to observe the Lyrids is in the morning between 2.00-5.00 am. However, the Lyrids low rates, combined with their closeness to the horizon, mean that few meteors are likely to be seen. To see the Lyrids, look to the north in the morning sky. About two handspans above the northern horizon is the bright, blue-white star alpha Lyra, the brightest star near the northern horizon. The Lyrid radiant is just above it and to the left by around a handspan.
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:2)
From the excellent Southern Skywatch Page [mira.net]
Forgot to close the link (doh!)
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:3, Informative)
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:3, Funny)
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:4, Informative)
Really? We've got the Pi-Puppids [amsmeteors.org] plus a circumpolar "bright" comet, C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) [nasa.gov].
Also, the Lyrids are not [amsmeteors.org] the first meteor shower of the year; the first of several showers before the Lyrids are the Quadrantids [amsmeteors.org]. Downunder, but not left out...
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:What about the 'rest of world' category? (Score:4, Informative)
Most meteor showers have a "peak" though where the earth passes through the densest part of the comet's trail. For this meteor shower, they don't appear to know when the peak will fall. For the Leonids the last couple of years they tried to predict, and that was a certain time that would be different in different time zones.
Happy skywatching!
Forgive my ignorance (Score:3, Informative)
Wow. (Score:2, Interesting)
Speeds up to 110,000 miles per hour coming from meteoroids always remind me of how fast we're traveling on this pale blue dot.
Re:Wow. (Score:1)
Re:Wow. (Score:1, Interesting)
And revolving at nine hundred miles an hour,
That's orbiting at nineteen miles a second, so it's reckoned,
A sun that is the source of all our power.
The sun and you and me and all the stars that we can see
Are moving at a million miles a day
In an outer spiral arm, at forty thousand miles an hour,
Of the galaxy we call the 'Milky Way'.
Our galaxy itself contains a hundred billion stars.
It's a hundred thousand light years side to side.
It bulges in the
It's all fun and games until one hits Earth (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:It's all fun and games until one hits Earth (Score:1)
So THAT'S what those things were!?! (Score:5, Funny)
Re:So THAT'S what those things were!?! (Score:1)
Who says it's not just an elaborate plan -- calling this "planetary attack plan" these interesting meteor shower called the Lyrids??
Re:So THAT'S what those things were!?! (Score:3, Funny)
Spaceweather hurting? (Score:2)
Timing (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Timing (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Timing (Score:1)
Don't worry, the dupe will be posted next week. That will be 8592 hours before the action returns next year. Surely, that is sufficient advance notice.
Re:Timing (Score:2)
What do you mean a few hours before the action? It was posted 30 minutes after dawn where I am, you insensitive clod!
Extraordinary (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Extraordinary (Score:3, Informative)
Well 5-20 is on the average to higher side as far as showers tend to go, but it's also important to point out that the meteor shower numbers are frequently misleading if you're not familiar with how they're calculated.
Normally that number refers to what you'd be expected to see if you're in a completely dark sky, able to see in all directions at once, and with the radiant directly overhead. Realistically this isn't normally what happens.
Most people live near a populated area, so they only see the
Re:Extraordinary (Score:1)
I take it you have gone meteor watching before? Had any really memorable moments like seeing the sky completly light up in streaks of light?
I can remember as a child, being in a camp grounds off Lake Michigan and seeing the sky full of hundreds of tiny meteors. Still one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
Welcome! (Score:1, Redundant)
(sorry, first thing which came into mind was "oh my how much of these bad jokes are going to be posted today)
Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:5, Informative)
As far as I know film is the way to go for long exposures.
(There's actually a way to eliminate at least some of the static if you're crafty with Photoshop -- the static tends to show up on the same pixels on you camera's CCD, so if you take one fully dark photo you can use it to substract the static in subsequent pictures).
Re:Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:3, Informative)
My Digital Rebel is basically noiseless regardless of exposure length at ISO 100. There are one or two variously-colored CMOS hotspots a pixel or two wide (simil
Re:Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:3, Informative)
You're re-inventing some techniques familiar to astronomers. Back when CCDs (a) were very expensive (b) were very small and (c) had to be used in dewers they were mainly seen on telescopes.
The other technique (flat-fielding) was taking a picture of a uniform light source and using that to correct the apparent brightness across your images. (My flat fields at the time were terrible, should have been even, were striped and shaded inste
Re:Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:2, Interesting)
As for film, the best way I've used is to get to a really dark place, or at least no glowing of the sky. Open the shutter with a remote or bulb and leave it that way until you see one. Close the shutter and try again...we are talking minutes - you could have to wait 5-10 minutes in some cases.
It also works to leave the shutter open through several streakers. If you are persistent, you may get a good "earthgrazer" that travels the e
Re:Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:3, Informative)
Set your ISO on the lowest possible setting ISO 50 or 100. Most cameras will show noticeable interference with anything larger. Note the ISO Speed number demonstrates your cameras light sensitivity.
Then take shutter speed as long as possible to desired image.
Just practice on stars and what not to get a hang of your cameras capabilities. Also, I
Re:Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:3, Informative)
Although other posters point out that digital camera noise can be a problem, there are workarounds. For a start, ensure that you turn the LCD off, if possible. Try to let the camera cool down between shots.
Your camera may have a low noise setting. If not, take a long exposure photograph with the lens cap on. This "dark" frame will be noisy because of hot CCD cells. In Photoshop/whatever, subtract this image from your photograph to
Re:Suggested Camera Settings? (Score:2, Informative)
Good luck
Obligatory Austin Powers Reference (Score:2)
"Comet Thatcher shower on a cold day!"
</Austin_Powers>
Someone said the link was down? (Score:4, Informative)
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer
posted: 07:42 am ET
21 April 2004
The annual Lyrid meteor shower peaks before dawn Thursday, April 22. Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere with dark skies away from city lights could see anywhere from 5 to 25 shootings stars per hour, or one every few minutes.
The timing of this year's version is good, because the Moon just passed its New phase and is out of the picture, its otherwise bright light not a factor.
The Lyrids are best seen between about 2 a.m. and daybreak local time, regardless of where you live, astronomers say. That's when the shower's radiant -- the point from which they appear to emanate -- is highest in the sky. The Lyrid radiant is in the constellation Lyra, and very near to the bright star Vega.
Vega is easy to find. It's in the eastern sky but nearly overhead in the predawn hours. It is the brightest star in that region of the sky and the 5th brightest star overall.
Lyrid meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. But if you trace each one back, it will point toward Vega. The shower is a result of Earth passing through a trail of debris left by a comet called Thatcher, which last passed through the inner solar system in 1861.
The Lyrid event is typically modest -- not as busy as the November Leonids or the August Perseids. But they are still cherished by devout meteor observers.
"The Lyrids are the first major annual shower of the season," said Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society.
But this April shower sometimes generates a brief outburst, when the rate can climb to more than one a minute. Seasoned observers might notice that the Lyrids move more quickly than typical meteors. Bright and persistent trails are common with the Lyrids.
Most shooting stars are generated by bits no larger than sand grains that vaporize when they plow into Earth's atmosphere. An occasional bright fireball is sometimes sighted amid the Lyrids, caused by debris perhaps the size of a pea or marble.
City and suburban dwellers will see significantly fewer of the meteors than those in rural areas away from all light pollution. The shower is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere.
To look for meteors, experts advise taking along a blanket or lounge chair, so you can recline and avoid neck strain. Dress warmer than you think necessary if you plan to be out for more than a few minutes. Find a spot with wide-open sky. Face east but scan as much of the sky as possible. Allow 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Another half-dozen or so meteors not associated with the Lyrids could be visible in any given pre-dawn hour, from dark rural locations, according to Lunsford. These other shooting stars could appear anywhere and move in any direction.
Day of the eh...lyrids (Score:1, Offtopic)
"The triffids are coming!"
You guys wouldn't happen to have noticed any strange plants growing in your gardens would you?(Other than the mary jane kind
Live in the desert? Lucky dog! (Score:3, Interesting)
In the time I lived in the Eastern High Sierras (www.deepsprings.edu [deepsprings.edu]) I was lucky enough to witness two Leonid showers. They were, witout fail, among the most awe-some night-time events of my life.
So, you desert dwellers... waste no time in making the decision to go.
(I was also once witness to a paraselene - a fabulous sort of full-circle moon-rainbow. Beautiful!)
Re:Live in the desert? Lucky dog! (Score:3, Informative)
Clear air... Go to the desert, and go high, to see the best meteor action.
The Stars Are Right! (Score:2)
Lyrids, Triffids
tinfoil hats ? (Score:2)
Speed vs. velocity (Score:3, Interesting)
SeaDour writes "The year's first meteor shower, the Lyrids, will peak in the pre-dawn hours of April 22nd when the Earth plows through the debris trail of Comet Thatcher at a relative velocity of 49 km/s
There is no direction given, so SeaDour should have used speed, not velocity. Or is this a convention often used in astronomy?
they did give a direction (Score:2)
Re:Speed vs. velocity (Score:2)
Furthermore, using simply "speed" is insufficient because it ignores the fact that both objects are moving.
Finally using "velocity" by itself suffers from the same problem as well as being non-specific with respect to direction.
In practice there is scientifically nothin
Re:Speed vs. velocity (Score:3)
Lyrids? (Score:5, Funny)
spotted! (Score:1, Funny)
depending on the severity of your local light pollution.
Geez, now all light is regarded as pollution. Is there anything chicken little can't view as bad (and, usually, in the worst terms possible) for someone or something?
(as always, mod minus for non-liberal out-of-step with bezerkely post)
Re:spotted! (Score:2)
Well, regardless of any eco-lefty leaning, what would you have the unnatural light that needlessly interferes with observing the night sky called?
Reporting Live..... (Score:2, Funny)
There goes one..... theres another one!..... And another.... wow these are fast..... oooo, another one.....
In other news... (Score:3, Funny)
If you're a raver... (Score:2)
Mal-2
Meteor showers are the shiznit... (Score:1)
The Lyrids Are Coming! (Score:2)
Oh wait its just a meteor shower, nevermind.
a meteor shower, wait a minute.... Run! Flee! Cower in fear!
Night of the Lyrids (Score:2)
Er, (Score:2)
Ok, Good.
Just making sure, that's all.
Just came back from checking it out (Score:2)
Beer and good company made it a fully worthwhile night.
J
Just got done teaching (Score:2)
3:30 AM (Score:2)
Story posted at... (Score:3, Insightful)
time difference: +5 hours
local time posted: 04:04am
Thanks guys. Thanks.
Even worse, I didn't see the story until just now when I got up. Pisses me off, cause I was up until 1am working on my final year project...
As someone living at GMT (Score:2)
Gee (Score:3, Funny)
Hardly the first (Score:3, Informative)
Make that "seventh":
Shower Range Peak radiant velocity population #/hour IMO
Quadrantids Jan 01-Jan 05 Jan 04 15 20 +49 41 2.1 120 QUA
delta-Cancrids Jan 01-Jan 24 Jan 17 08 40 +20 28 3.0 4 DCA
alpha-Centaurids Jan 28-Feb 21 Feb 08 14 00 -59 56 2.0 6 ACE
delta-Leonids Feb 15-Mar 10 Feb 25 11 12 +16 23 3.0 2 DLE
gamma-Normids Feb 25-Mar 22 Mar 13 16 36 -51 56 2.4 8 GNO
Virginids Jan 25-Apr 15 (Mar 24) 13 00 -04 30 3.0 5 VIR
Lyrids Apr 16-Apr 25 Apr 22 18 04 +34 49 2.1 18 LYR
Re:I'd love to post my pics but... (Score:2, Informative)
Re: (Score:2, Funny)