Imagining the Lyrids April 22 2014, 0 Comments

Today is Earth Day and I wanted to do a poetic post about getting outside to celebrate the Earth and the beautiful sky that provides us with a show every night. Especially on this night. Yesterday and tonight are the prime times to view the Lyrid meteor showers that grace us with their appearance each April.

But tonight's forecast is cloudy for our Seattle skies. I've lived here long enough to know you get outside anyway because forecasts are often wrong for a percentage of the time.
70% chance of rain means 30% chance of no rain, right? Glass half full?

Still it's looking like our opportunity to see one of the better meteor showers of the year is not likely for those of us in the Seattle region. For Moonwater fans in other drier climes, please get yourselves outside tonight to catch some falling stars. The best times are reported to be before dawn on the 22nd and through dawn on the 23rd. 

The Lyrids are bright often leaving trails and usually about 10 -20 but sometimes surges to 100 per hour. Look near Vega in the constellation Lyra to see them in the east.

Here's where to look in the sky:

Image courtesy of Astronomy.com.

Regardless of the weather, I will wake before dawn, go up on the roof and look east, because shooting stars remind me of magic—imagining of our loved ones racing across the heavens.