The Lyrids is considered an average shower, but here at Live Seasoned we think all meteor showers are beyond amazing. The Lyrids usually produce about 20 meteors per hour at its peak. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which was discovered in 1861. The shower runs annually from April 16-25, but we encourage you to venture outside during its peak on the night of the 22nd and morning of the 23rd. These meteors can sometimes produce bright dust trails that last for several seconds. The second quarter moon will be a bit of a problem this year, blocking the less bright meteors from view. The moon basically acts as natural light pollution. Don’t let this deter you though, go find a dark spot sometime after midnight. Lay back on a reclining lawn chair or comfortable blanket and get to gazin’. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Lyra, but can appear anywhere in the sky. Good luck!
For a little bit of background about Lyrid Meteor Shower head here.
Last Quarter Moon, 3:52 a.m. One-half of the Moon appears illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing.
Moon at perigee (its closest point to the Earth), 8 p.m.
Take a peek at the sky tonight and you’ll see a full moon. A full moon is when the moon and the sun are opposite of each other from an earth perspective.
Take a peek at the sky tonight and you’ll see a full moon. A full moon is when the moon and the sun are opposite of each other from an earth perspective.
Welcome summer!
Sounds pretty fancy, right? It simply means three solar system bodies coming together, not in distance, but in perspective. For star watchers it means some pretty sweet night sights! It’s particularly exciting when the moon and planets are involved.
Saturday, July 5 will mark the night of the waxing gibbous moon as it groups together with the bluish colored star Spica and separates from Mars in the southwest sky. On July 6 and 7 the planets and moon will seem to cluster together even more than usual in the southern hemisphere for a truly unique sight.
Take a peek at the sky tonight and you’ll see a full moon. A full moon is when the moon and the sun are opposite of each other from an earth perspective.
Take a peek at the sky tonight and you’ll see a full moon. A full moon is when the moon and the sun are opposite of each other from an earth perspective.
The moon will turn full at 2:09 EDT and just nine minutes earlier it will arrive at its closest point to earth in 2014. Expect a wide tide range and a ‘super’ moon on August 11th. Photographers get your tripod and cameras ready!
Rise and shine if you want to catch this spectacular sight, which will take place Aug. 18 and 19 in the Southern Hemisphere.
Sky gazers will get the opportunity to watch as two brilliant and bright planets- Venus and Jupiter- experience a close encounter with each other, making for one beautiful night sky display.