Forum Topic

Lyrid meteor shower

Lyrid meteor shower 'starts' tonight but peaks late Tuesday night/early Wednesday. If the skies stay clear...

Delilah Hall ● 2390d31 Comments

Thanks Delilah,a reason to get my hoody out and venture into the garden late into the evenings and gaze.Might try to set up video camSkies are forecast to be clear most of the week on looking

Julian Pavey ● 2390d

Looking good at the moment! After a hot day, quite a chill in the air so I will be looking out from my bedroom window!

Delilah Hall ● 2390d

Hi DeliahThanks for letting us know,Which direction should we be looking to see the meteors?

Jerry Byrne ● 2390d

https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/meteor-shower/lyrids.html#tb-meteor_times

Julian Pavey ● 2390d

I didn't see any last night (didn't help that I was tired and fell asleep in the bath and only woke up when the water was cold) and so I did not look for long. I was looking due south - I'll try looking northwards tonight as well.(I was looking from my bedroom window, it isn't as if I cannot turn my head haha!)

Delilah Hall ● 2390d

In my link the live video shows at the bottom in the timeline that the circle "LYRIDS" rises in the NE and moves E towards south when sunrise comes.  Tonight Monday it again (rises again in the NE) and the following table below gives a guide with say 02.00 direct east and 53.2° in altitude and its highest is at 04.00 in SEMon 01:00 88°  East             43.9°Mon 02:00 100° East             53.2°Mon 03:00 117° East-southeast     62.1°Mon 04:00 142° Southeast             69.3°

Julian Pavey ● 2390d

From where I live I have a balcony view of the London skyline - Telecom Tower, Shard, Battersea Power station, Crystal Palace, etc so masses of sky from roughly north north-east to south south-east.  When would be the best times to look for meteors or satellites? (I’m crap at understanding astronomical websites).

Alastair Banton ● 2390d

Alastair look as if your looking towards white city at 10pm and gradually pan to you right so you should be looking direct towards hammersmith at 2am and around crystal palace at 5am. Take the A4 into town as a guide and pan from left of A4 to the right of the A4 with looking straight down the A4 at 2am.

Julian Pavey ● 2390d

Does anyone know the optimum time to see the Lyrid Meteor shower? I think Delilah posted that late on Tues night/early on Wednesday was best... I'm planning to wake up our 12 y.o. and have her watch it w. me in the garden (hot chocolates ready!), but would hate to wake "the sleeping beastie" without the best chances of seeing it.

Helle Kaiser-Nielsen ● 2390d

Thanks, Julian.  I can see the new blocks of flats at White City clearly.  So if I look in that direction tonight at 10pm I should be able to see something?  (much later and it’s well past my bedtime!)

Alastair Banton ● 2390d

Correct AlastairLyrids will peak tomorrow night into wed

Julian Pavey ● 2390d

Just to add Starlink,something i knew nothing about and a eye opener crosses over london at these timesTonight 9.58pm-10.05pm from the west heading east and should be brighter than last nightTuesday night starting at 10.34pm -10.40pm from the west heading north-east Pretty much look straight up ino the sky looking in the heathrow arrivals flightpath direction

Julian Pavey ● 2390d

Fantastic - thanks

Helle Kaiser-Nielsen ● 2390d

bump for the starlinks9.58  fingers crossed  West to North/East

Julian Pavey ● 2389d

Fantastic clear sky.. should be good. Hopefully good later for those meteors, too.

Delilah Hall ● 2389d

Thanks Julian and Delilah.. we're out on the balcony seeing it all.

Jim Lawes ● 2389d

Not seen the Starlink but seen about 4 individual sats over the 20 min period. Atleast that is what the App said for tonight on Starlink Allso tonight at 11..34pm but says in red under visibility, hard to see Then tomorrow again OK at 8.58pm and 10.34pm visibility for both OK

Julian Pavey ● 2389d

I watched several go over but I reckon a few of them got blown off course - there were gaps between some of them and yes, saw at least 3 others doing their own thing, all in different directions.Bit concerning how much stuff we are cluttering up space with!

Delilah Hall ● 2389d

Not to mention the greater light polution with the switch to LED so i am told

Julian Pavey ● 2389d

Yes - must be awful in towns and cities. We are quite lucky in that the only real light pollution comes from Felixstowe docks and Harwich in the distance - and a tiny bit from Ipswich, but trees tend to block the worst of it and as we are surrounded by fields and woods, and with rivers front and back, plus there are no street lights (yippee) or any commercial sites near, it is incredibly dark out there. Very easy to trip over hedgehogs and molehills in the dark but smashing for stargazing.

Delilah Hall ● 2389d

Saw 5 or so of the starlink over Staveley Gardens around 10pm. Very faint but I just kept looking into the dark sky to accustom my eyes a tad and they came into view. There was one slightly out of alignment.

Bob Guyett ● 2389d

Maybe i did see them then Bob. Just was not the same as last night Might go and have a quick look now for 11.34 ?

Julian Pavey ● 2389d

Thanks everyone for the detailed info, Happy skygazing!!!

Jerry Byrne ● 2389d

Did you see them that time Julian? I had gone to bed by then, I only saw sheep leaping a fence LOL

Bob Guyett ● 2389d

Never see anything plus it was chilly out.

Janice Evans ● 2389d

No bob,nothing as the app predicted on visibility.The first pass i see 5 sats passing over,but i only see two myself within close distance at the same time but not in a line and in the correct direction at the correct timeNope, the night before when i spotted them about 10 crossed over in a perfect line like a string of lights,not sure how many i missed at the front of the lineMaybe tonight

Julian Pavey ● 2389d

The sats are closest together soon after launch and release. Starlink 5 was launched 18th March so it's had quite a few weeks to do partial separation / spacing and widening orbit (feinter as viewed). I see there is a new launch tomorrow mid afternoon. Might be better to wait a few nights and track this Skylink 6 trajectory to see if it passes over lower UK within the first week

Andrew Craig ● 2388d

Just remembered Julian that my daughter was told by a pilot friend of hers that the 2nd pass was around 2315 so its possible that you missed them altogether.If I get any further info on times, I will post as soon as I hear. Good luck.

Bob Guyett ● 2388d

CheersCertainly offers you an alternative to a late evening lockdown.Lyrid meteor shower peaks tonight best times are01.00hrs -03.00hrs

Julian Pavey ● 2388d

Starlink above us now in perfect formation they just keep coming another later when bit darker

Julian Pavey ● 2388d

I have just come inside with an aching neck.. the satelites are easier to see in the lighter sky - and yes, they just keep coming and in perfect formation although the first ones were a bit erratic. Still charging past as I gave up - didn't get to count them either as other things in the garden reuired my attention, but I am staggered at how many. And he has not finished yet...

Delilah Hall ● 2388d