One of our most favorite guys. Professor Jimmy Westlake. Down and over on Steamboat Today.
Jimmy Westlake:
"April not only brings snow and rain showers to the mountains of Northwest Colorado, it also brings the annual Lyrid meteor shower. A shower of meteors, or shooting stars, happens whenever the Earth crosses the trail of an old comet that has filled with tiny dust particles. These dust grains hit the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of up to 30 miles per second, causing them to get so hot they burn up in a streak of light about 60 miles over our heads.
On any given night of the year, a single observer can expect to see five or six meteors per hour of sky watching, but on the night of a meteor shower, that number can rise considerably. This month, on the night of April 21, the Earth will pass through the dusty river left by Comet Thatcher, creating as many as 20 beautiful shooting stars per hour. You can see them in any part of the sky, but you’ll have your best view facing the northeastern sky at about midnight. The meteors will seem to fan out from a point near the bright star Vega in the constellation of Lyra, so they are called Lyrid meteors.
Remember, more meteors are seen after midnight than before midnight, so roll out that warm sleeping bag, kick back in a lounge chair or in the back of a truck, and watch the celestial fireworks April 21....."
(Read more? Click title)
"Unapologetically pursuing and tracking patterns within the news others make since 2010."
No comments:
Post a Comment