#lyrid as in the meteor shower that originates from lyra

[warlordfelwinter]

just a quick sketch i decided to color

our wildsea character/ship creation session is next week, im so excited. i still haven't chosen a name for him 😭

[just--space]

Lyrid Meteor Streak : Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame. via NASA

[captainpotassium]

Lyrid Meteor Streak via NASA https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR

Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame.

(Published April 23, 2020)

[lakelewisia]

A Lewisian Year

Presented in partnership with the Lewisia Communications Board and Lewisia Public Library

Sponsored by The Historical Society

Hello, readers, listeners, and psychic osmosizers! Welcome to A Lewisian Year, a monthly showcase celebrating the rich culture here in the Lake Lewisia district. Each month, we'll highlight some seasonal events, local celebrations and interpretations of national and world holidays, and historical tidbits.

APRIL

Weather Weddings

On a cold, clear morning in the second half of April, you take a walk outside, enjoying the break in an otherwise rainy spring. The moon has set but the sun hasn't risen yet, so it's very dark. When you look up, you have a perfect view of a sky full of stars. You see something streak across it: a shooting star. As you keep watching, you see more bright lines across the northeastern sky, radiating from Vega in the constellation of Lyra. The meteors start falling more frequently, until you see one every minute. It looks like this is an outburst year for the Lyrids, a difficult-to-predict surge in the normally modest meteor event.

Then, you hear it: a deep roll of thunder. Yet everywhere you look, you see only cloudless sky. Nothing obscures your view of the shooting stars. Even so, another rumble comes across the hills. The air seems to shake. The sound gets closer and the meteors zing overhead, like stars are being shaken out of the sky by the force of the thunder.

Just as you think it must be close enough that you'll be able to see the source, it starts to draw away and get quieter. The thunder moves off into the distance, like a procession passing by. Soon, the dawn begins to lighten the sky and you can no longer make out the bright lines of the meteor shower. You have been witness to something very rare, even if you aren't sure what.

Weather conjunctions have been the subject of speculation throughout history. Unusual combinations are often said to indicate particular events, with births and weddings being the most frequently cited. Folklore on this subject abounds, with some origins more clear than others. The popular story of foxes marrying during sunshowers has roots in Japanese folklore and likely got introduced to the area by immigrant groups that moved into the area in the late nineteenth century. Variants on this from other cultures suggest the weddings of crows or witches instead.

(Local witches, when polled, seem mostly to be of the opinion that, while picturesque, such conditions would present a logistical nightmare for attendees of such a handfasting. The crows offered no further insights when asked.)

Often the folklore suggests that the conjunction of two or more dissimilar or rare weather phenomena indicates an equally unusual partnership has been consecrated. Rains of all manner of terrestrial animals, such as toads, mice, or spiders, are thought to indicate that a human has married a ghost or spirit--the combination of earth and sky suggesting the union of the mortal and the spectral. This was confirmed to be the case with the Great Cat Rain of 1984, when Mx. and Mr. Heimisson married, though they insist it was just an unfortunate mix-up with the catering service's handling of the fish option.

Some conjunctions, though, remain a mystery in their significance. According to two hundred years of records, there have been seven occasions when a meteor shower received an unexplained backing of thunder--three during the Lyrids in April and four during the Draconids in October. Due to the popularity of wedding folklore for conjunctions, this has sometimes been reported as a wedding procession. However, no credible witnesses report any visible confirmation of such a gathering, like trails of lantern light or banners moving in the distance. (Incredible witnesses, such as Ms. Banks-Creevy, can be questioned on their sightings if you have a free afternoon or five.) Maybe during this year's meteor showers, we will get another chance to find out who the happy couple might be.

National Library Week

I confess, in my own hometown, I was rather afraid of the library and librarians. Well, one librarian in particular: Mrs. P---, whom we tended to refer to as Mrs. Pickle on account of the sour attitude. I've spent a great deal of time in the library since moving to Lewisia, in part to research for this column. Far from sour, the librarians have been very helpful and kind as I fumble over local terminology and repeatedly forget historical events. As part of this year's events, I was invited to attend one of the health checks and feedings for a feral book colony.

I went to the Accidental Library at the bus depot on Hollyberry Road. The colony consists primarily of books forgotten by travelers waiting at the depot, so there are mostly cheap, thick paperbacks of romance or suspense, with a few children's board books mixed in. Seeing them all up in the rafters outside the waiting room, listening to the rustle of live pages, I could do nothing but marvel at the persistence of stories. Even when they seem to be forgotten, they live on, waiting for the moment when they find the right reader again.

Gem and Mineral Show

While libraries might not have been a highlight of my childhood, gem and mineral shows absolutely were. I've never been to one quite like the Lewisian version, though. While I appreciated the abundant documentation on ethical sourcing of rocks commercially, safe collection practices among amateurs, and the overlap between antiquities trade and lithoid breeding, it was the much-promoted Rock Doctor I wanted to see.

I've worn a small, roughly leaf-shaped labradorite pendant since I was a teen, so I took that. While I didn't need the stone identified, I was curious about some of the other insights advertised. Was my stone happy? Getting enough exercise? Meeting its fundamental need for light sources in which to sparkle?

I'm happy to report my rock is doing very well. The Rock Doctor reported that it particularly likes the little velvet pouch I keep it in at night. I did get recommendations for a polishing routine to really bring out its natural luminescence. Whether a cut gemstone or a bit of driveway gravel, the Rock Doctor knows what makes rocks shine.

This Month in History

On April 23, 1998, the False Cinnabar Beetle was spotted as part of a mixed-species swarm on the western shore of Lake Lewisia. While the Eastern US has its well-known periodical cicadas on their thirteen- or seventeen-year cycles, the Lewisia region does play host to the less familiar century dragonfly (Anax saeculum), as well as generally increased insect activity during many warm springs. This swarm, however, was notable in being composed at least partially of extinct varieties. The False Cinnabar Beetle, in particular, has been listed as extinct since 1925, though the last confirmed sighting was back in 1893.

Wildlife monitoring equipment in the area did confirm the presence of False Cinnabars in the passing swarm, though the saucer-sized, red beetles with their intricate patterning would be difficult to mistake even in the absence of trained professionals. No beetles have been spotted since that day, and they will keep their extinct status for now. Such sightings are cause for hope, though, that somewhere, somehow, the strangest of us still survive.

That's a taste of what April has to offer us. See you next month, when May brings the biggest potluck I've ever attended, heard of, or imagined.

[sciencespies]

The first meteor shower of the year is starting! Here's how you can see it

https://sciencespies.com/space/the-first-meteor-shower-of-the-year-is-starting-heres-how-you-can-see-it/

The first meteor shower of the year is starting! Here's how you can see it

The first meteor shower of spring is peaking Thursday morning.

The Lyrid meteor shower, which happens in late April each year, occurs when the Earth passes through the tail of a comet. As debris from that comet enters our planet’s atmosphere, it burns up, leaving streaks in the sky that are visible to the naked eye for several seconds.

When the Lyrids peak, people can expect to see between 10 and 20 meteors every hour. These meteors often leave “glowing dust trains” in their wake as they disintegrate, according to NASA.

The moon is more than half full this week, which will make it trickier to spot the shooting stars. Here are some tips for catching the Lyrids in action.

Head out early Thursday morning, before the Sun rises

The best time to glimpse the Lyrids is in the wee morning hours on Thursday, April 22, before the Sun rises.

Waiting until the waxing moon sets – about 4 am on the US East Coast – will make it easier to spot the meteors and their dust trains. Otherwise, the bright glow from the almost-full moon (it’ll be 68 percent full on Thursday) may obscure the meteor streaks.

Head to an area well away from a city or street lights, and bring a sleeping bag or blanket. No need to pack a telescope or binoculars, since meteor showers are best seen with the naked eye.

“Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,” NASA’s website said. “After about 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors.”

The shooting stars can appear anywhere in the sky, but if you need a reference point, look to the harp-like constellation Lyra, from which the Lyrids often seem to emerge. (That’s how they get their name.)

If you miss out on the show Thursday morning, there will still be meteors to see Friday. In fact, the Lyrid meteor shower this year will continue through April 30. Usually, it ends by April 25.

One of the oldest-known meteor showers

Humanity has known about the Lyrid meteor shower for almost three millennia: The first sighting dates back to 687 BC in China, according to NASA.

The meteors hail from a comet called Thatcher, named after the astronomer who first identified the space rock in 1861.

It takes Thatcher 415 years to orbit the sun (we won’t see it again until the year 2276). As it circles the Solar System, Thatcher’s tail leaves behind a trail of debris and leftover comet particles.

Every April, Earth passes through Thatcher’s debris and gets bombarded with comet litter for two weeks – which makes for a dazzling meteor shower.

After the Lyrids pass, there are still 11 meteor showers to look out for this year. One of the most popular, the Perseids, will peak on the night of August 11.

This article was originally published by Business Insider.

More from Business Insider:

#Space

[apod]

2020 April 23

Lyrid Meteor Streak Image Credit & Copyright: Zolt Levay

Explanation: Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame.

∞ Source: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200423.html

[arcticwildfire]

Astronomy Picture of the Day: April 23, 2020 Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame. Lyrid Meteor Streak via NASA https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR

[nasa]

What’s Up - April 2018

What’s Up For April? 

The Moon, Mars and Saturn and the Lyrid meteor shower!

The Moon, Mars and Saturn

The Moon, Mars and Saturn form a pretty triangle in early April, the Lyrid Meteors are visible in late April, peaking high overhead on the 22nd.

You won't want to miss red Mars and golden Saturn in the south-southeast morning skies this month. Mars shines a little brighter than last month.

By the 7th, the Moon joins the pair. From a dark sky you may see some glow from the nearby Milky Way.

Lyrid Meteors

Midmonth, start looking for Lyrid meteors, which are active from April 14 through the 30th. They peak on the 22nd.

The Lyrids are one of the oldest known meteor showers and have been observed for 2,700 years. The first recorded sighting of a Lyrid meteor shower goes back to 687 BC by the Chinese. The pieces of space debris that interact with our atmosphere to create the Lyrids originate from comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. Comet Thatcher was discovered on 5 April 1861 by A. E. Thatcher.

In the early morning sky, a patient observer will see up to more than a dozen meteors per hour in this medium-strength shower, with 18 meteors per hour calculated for the peak. U.S. observers should see good rates on the nights before and after this peak.

A bright first quarter moon plays havoc with sky conditions, marring most of the typically faint Lyrid meteors. But Lyra will be high overhead after the moon sets at midnight, so that's the best time to look for Lyrids.

Jupiter & Juno

Jupiter will also be visible in the night sky this month! 

Through a telescope, Jupiter's clouds belts and zones are easy to see. 

And watch the Great Red Spot transit--or cross--the visible (Earth-facing) disk of Jupiter every 8 hours.

Our Juno spacecraft continues to orbit this gas giant, too!

And Juno's JunoCam citizen science team is creating exciting images of Jupiter's features based on the latest spacecraft data.

Next month Jupiter is at opposition--when it rises at sunset, sets at sunrise, and offers great views for several months!

Watch the full What’s Up for April Video: 

There are so many sights to see in the sky. To stay informed, subscribe to our What’s Up video series on Facebook. Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.   

[freenewstoday]

New Post has been published on https://freenews.today/2021/04/20/lyrid-meteor-shower-to-light-up-british-skies-with-up-to-18-fireballs-per-hour/

Lyrid Meteor shower to light up British skies with up to 18 fireballs per hour

The Lyrid meteor shower will be visible all day on Thursday, with astronomers predicting a peak at around 1pm. Tania de Sales Marques, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the PA news agency: “Since the peak occurs during the day the best time to try to spot the shower will be before sunrise on the 22nd or after sunset.

“It is expected that this meteor shower will produce around 18 meteors per hour.”

Ms de Sales Marques added that because the Moon will be at a waxing gibbous phase, there will be quite bright in the sky meaning conditions “won’t be very favourable”.

The Lyrid meteors are named after the constellation of Lyra the Harp, where the shooting stars appear to have originated.

Meteors are created when space rocks or debris burn up entering Earth’s atmosphere, creating long streaks of light.

These meteors are pieces of debris falling from the Thatcher Comet, which is expected to return to the inner solar system in 2276, after an orbital period of 415 years.

Ms de Sales Marques said: “The Lyrids have been observed as far back as 687BC, the oldest known record of any meteor showers still visible today.

“It is a moderate shower with the occasional fireballs, nicknamed the Lyrid Fireballs.”

Stargazers wishing to see the meteor shower will also be able to spot Vega, which is Lyra’s brightest star.

READ MORE: Elon Musk and Grimes favourites to become first to marry in space

“As with any stargazing, you’ll need to allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark.”

The Lyrids occur between 16-25 April every year.

if(typeof utag_data.ads.fb_pixel!=="undefined"&&utag_data.ads.fb_pixel==!0)!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init','568781449942811');fbq('track','PageView') Source

[orbemnews]

Lyrid Meteor shower to light up British skies with up to 18 fireballs per hour The Lyrid meteor shower will be visible all day on Thursday, with astronomers predicting a peak at around 1pm. Tania de Sales Marques, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told the PA news agency: “Since the peak occurs during the day the best time to try to spot the shower will be before sunrise on the 22nd or after sunset. “It is expected that this meteor shower will produce around 18 meteors per hour.” Ms de Sales Marques added that because the Moon will be at a waxing gibbous phase, there will be quite bright in the sky meaning conditions “won’t be very favourable”. The Lyrid meteors are named after the constellation of Lyra the Harp, where the shooting stars appear to have originated. Meteors are created when space rocks or debris burn up entering Earth’s atmosphere, creating long streaks of light. These meteors are pieces of debris falling from the Thatcher Comet, which is expected to return to the inner solar system in 2276, after an orbital period of 415 years. Ms de Sales Marques said: “The Lyrids have been observed as far back as 687BC, the oldest known record of any meteor showers still visible today. “It is a moderate shower with the occasional fireballs, nicknamed the Lyrid Fireballs.” Stargazers wishing to see the meteor shower will also be able to spot Vega, which is Lyra’s brightest star. READ MORE: Elon Musk and Grimes favourites to become first to marry in space “As with any stargazing, you’ll need to allow at least 15 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark.” The Lyrids occur between 16-25 April every year. if(typeof utag_data.ads.fb_pixel!=="undefined"&&utag_data.ads.fb_pixel==!0)!function(f,b,e,v,n,t,s)if(f.fbq)return;n=f.fbq=function()n.callMethod?n.callMethod.apply(n,arguments):n.queue.push(arguments);if(!f._fbq)f._fbq=n;n.push=n;n.loaded=!0;n.version='2.0';n.queue=[];t=b.createElement(e);t.async=!0;t.src=v;s=b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];s.parentNode.insertBefore(t,s)(window,document,'script','https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/fbevents.js');fbq('init','568781449942811');fbq('track','PageView') Source link Orbem News #British #fireballs #Hour #Light #Lyrid #meteor #shower #skies

[admiral70]

Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame. via NASA https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR

[cyhnews]

Lyrid Meteor Streak

Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame. April 23, 2020 from NASA https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR via IFTTT

[stefany]

Lyrid Meteor Streak Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame. April 23, 2020 via Space https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR

[netexecindia]

Lyrid Meteor Streak April 23, 2020 via NASA Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame. #NASA https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR

[misspepita]

Lyrid Meteor Streak via NASA https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR

Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame.

[ggungabyfish]

Lyrid Meteor Streak via NASA https://ift.tt/3bxwwTR

Earth's annual Lyrid Meteor Shower peaked before dawn yesterday, as our fair planet plowed through debris from the tail of long-period comet Thatcher. In crisp, clear and moonless predawn skies over Brown County, Indiana this streak of vaporizing comet dust briefly shared a telephoto field of view with stars and nebulae along the Milky Way. Alpha star of the constellation Cygnus, Deneb lies near the bright meteor's path along with the region's dark interstellar clouds of dust and the recognizable glow of the North America nebula (NGC 7000). The meteor's streak points back to the shower's radiant, its apparent point of origin on the sky. That would be in the constellation Lyra, near bright star Vega and off the top edge of the frame.