Meteors result from particles of dust causing the atmosphere to glow as the particles enter the upper atmosphere of the Earth.  The Lyrid Meteors, or “Lyrids,” are associated with Comet Thatcher first discovered in 1861.  As this comet revolves around the Sun every 415 years, it gives off gases and dust particles due to the heat of the Sun.  While the gases eventually are dispersed throughout space, the dust particles remain as a trail of debris in the path of the comet long after the comet has gone.  Since the Earth encounters this trail of debris at the same point in space each time it makes its annual revolution around the Sun, we observe the Lyrids on the same date each year, around April 22.  The first recorded observation of the Lyrids was in 687 B.C.  In April 1803 there was a particularly dramatic appearance with a rate of about 700 meteors per hour.

In 2008 the Lyrids are predicted to reach a peak of about twenty meteors per hour at midnight EDT the night of Monday-Tuesday, April 21-22.  The Lyrid Meteor Shower is one of the more narrowly peaked showers.  This means that the morning of April 22 will be the peak time for observation with fewer than half as many Lyrids visible the mornings before or after.  As with all meteor showers, the Lyrids are best observed between midnight and dawn from a clear, dark location with a good horizon.  Unfortunately, we will be only a little over a day past full moon on the 22nd so the light of the moon will interfere significantly with observations of these meteors.  Look to the northeast to find the meteors appearing to radiate out of the constellation of Lyra the harp.  Binoculars or telescopes are not needed to observe meteors.

About PARI

PARI is a not-for-profit public foundation established in 1998.  Located in the Pisgah Forest southwest of Asheville, NC, PARI offers educational programs at all levels, from K-12 through post-graduate research.  The institute is affiliated with the 16-campus University of North Carolina system through PARSEC, a UNC Center hosted at PARI, and is a member of the NC Grassroots Museum Collaborative.  For more information about PARI and its programs, visit www.pari.edu.