Scientists at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) in Huntsville, Ala., will broadcast live images of the Lyrid meteor shower Monday night and early Tuesday (April 22 and 23) for stargazers stuck with bad weather or light-polluted night skies.
2013 Lyrid Meteor ShowerCredit: JPLThis sky map shows where to look in the eastern night sky on night of April 21 and the predawn hours of April 22 for the 2013 Lyrid meteor shower.
The NASA broadcast will begin at 8:30 p.m. EDT (0030 April 23) and run throughout the evening. You can watch the Lyrid meteor shower webcast on SPACE.com courtesy of NASA's MSFC feed.
"If you'd like to catch a last look at 2013 Lyrid meteor shower, this is your chance!" MSFC officials said in an announcement today. "Although a bright moon may interfere with viewing, you should still be able to see Lyrid meteors at an anticipated rate of 10-20 meteors per hour."
This year, the Lyrid meteor display runs from April 16 through April 26, though it peaked overnight on April 21 and 22. Because the moon is bright in the evening sky, the best time to look for the Lyrids is in the wee morning hours before dawn, after the moon has set but before the sun rises.
The Lyrid meteor shower occurs each year in mid-April when the Earth passes through a dusty lane of debris left over from Comet Thatcher, which is also known as C/1861 G1 Thatcher. The comet orbits the sun once every 415 years. The Lyrids are created when the comet's dust streaks through Earth's atmosphere at speeds of up to 110,000 mph (177,027 kph).
The Lyrids get their name because they appear to radiate out of the constellation Lyra. Humans have been observing the "shooting stars" display for more than 2,600 years, NASA scientists have said.
Amazing Lyrid Meteor Shower Photos for 2013
Lyrid Meteor Over Southern MarylandCredit: Jeff BerkesAstrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this Lyrid meteor in the marshlands of southern Maryland on April 14, 2013.
Lyrid Meteor Shower Over Tucson, Ariz.Credit: Sean Parker / www.facebook.com/SeanParkerPhotographyAstrophotographer Sean Parker captured this 12-photo panorama showing two Lyrid meteors over the Catalina Mountains just outside, Tucson, Ariz., on April 21, 2013.
2013 Lyrid Meteors Over New Haven, MissouriCredit: Adam GerdesAstrophotographer Adam Gerdes sent in a photo of Lyrid meteors taken over New Haven, Missouri. Image submitted April 22, 2013.
Lyrid Meteor Over Myton, UtahCredit: Lewis Cooper/gonzoshots.comAstrophotographer Lewis Cooper sent in a photo of a Lyrid meteor over Myton, Utah. He writes: " ... I saw a great one just as I was setting up the camera."
Lyrid Meteors and the Milky Way Over Hope Valley, CACredit: Mark Lissick/Wildlight Nature PhotographyAstrophotographer Mark Lissick sent in a photo of Lyrid meteors and the Milky Way, taken on April 22, 2013, in Hope Valley, CA (near Lake Tahoe).
Lyrid Meteor Over Milton, VermontCredit: Elisabeth FinstadAstrophotographer Elisabeth Finstad took this shot of a Lyrid meteor over Milton, Vermont, on April 22, 2013. She writes: "It was 28 degrees out and the sky was clear as a bell. 15 minutes later the sun's light had washed out most of the sky."
Lyrid Meteor Over Tucson, ArizonaCredit: B.G. BoydAstrophotographer B. G. Boyd sent in a photo of a Lyrid meteor over Tucson, Arizona, taken on April 22, 2013.
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