The lyrids appear in the sky over Germany every April. How to watch the shooting stars in April 2020.
- In April it rains falling stars again.
- The Lyrids are a shooting star shower from the constellation Lyra.
- The peak is expected on April 22nd.
Anyone who has learned Latin at school has a clear advantage. “ Lyra ” means lyre in German. What is meant is the plucking instrument that Troubadix, the bard from the Asterix comics, always torments - and is regularly tied up and gagged for it. What does that have to do with the Lyrids ? Its point of emission is in the constellation of Lyre . The point of emission - astronomers also call it radiant - is the point in the sky from which the shooting stars seem to come.
The lyrids are very fast shooting stars , which penetrate into the earth's atmosphere at speeds of around 50 kilometers per second (converted: 180,000 km / h) and burn up there. For comparison: at the pace of the lyrids, the distance to the moon from Earth would take two hours. Only Superman can do that faster! (Dear Astro fans, save yourself the emails, we know that he's just a cartoon character, the idea is cool anyway!)
When is the best time to see the Lyrids in April 2020?
- From April 16 to 25, the shooting stars of the lyrids can be seen in the sky over Germany .
- The Lyrids reach their maximum in the night from April 22 to 23, 2020 (Wednesday).
Astronomers assume that up to 18 shooting stars will flash in the sky that night . Which is about twice as much as normally in a whole night, in which on average five to ten meteors can be seen in the sky with the naked eye. By the way, Meteor is the scientific name for a shooting star.
Compared to other falling rain stars, the 18 falling stars per hour are also very little. For comparison: The Perseiden rain in August 2018 showed up to 150 shooting stars per hour.
Falling stars in April 2020: video shows what the lyrids looked like in 2018
Lyrids: How, where and when can you best see the shooting stars in April 2020?
The best observation time is the hours after midnight , when Wega (the main star of the zodiac sign) is in the lyre in the northeast. You have the best view away from the metropolitan areas. In cities and larger towns, the night sky is brightened by many artificial light sources. Much of the spectacle remains hidden due to this light pollution .
Astronomers recommend that Lyrid-Gucker should look for a nice place far away from the big city. A place with as little light as possible is best suited. But not in the basement - on a mountain the best visibility is probably given.
Where exactly do I see the lyrids in the sky?
The radiating point of the Lyrids is in the constellation of Lyre. This constellation also includes one of the brightest stars that you can see in the night sky: Wega.
If you are not familiar with astronomy , this information will not help you. Therefore, we recommend a look at the astrokramkiste.de page, which explains very well how you can find the constellation Lyre and the star Wega in the sky.
Lyrids in April 2020 What is the weather forecast for star shooting?
Since there is still something left until April 22, an accurate weather forecast is currently not yet possible. Several high and low pressure areas from Scandinavia, Great Britain and Africa are currently fighting for dominance in Europe. The meteorologists have not yet been able to predict how the scenario will develop.
How did the lyrids actually come about?
The comet Thatcher (C / 1861 G1) was identified as the source of the lyrids. It circles the sun on an elongated elliptical orbit in 415 years. The comet was discovered on April 4, 1861 by Albert E. Thatcher, from Manhattan (New York). Thatcher was an amateur astronomer and had borrowed a telescope from a friend.
In some years there were significantly higher fall rates. In 1982, 250 lyrids per hour were counted in North America. There was a real outbreak in 1922 when up to 600 meteors were recorded in Poland in one hour. The activities of the Lyrids can be traced far into the past. The Chinese provincial prince Zhuang reported in 687 BC that it "rained stars" in spring.
The comet has now partially decayed. Some debris clouds have been forced into new paths by the gravity of the large planets.
Another highlight in the astronomical year
In January the quadrantids rain down every year. The Delta Leonids followed in February, the Orionids and Draconids in October, the Leonids again in November and the Geminids and Ursids in December. But the most famous shooting stars that can be seen every year are the Perseids. They always reach their maximum in August.
Read also on merkur.de * : Holes have formed on the sun - with consequences for the earth And: an overview of the most popular shooting star swarms
* Merkur.de and nordbuzz.de are part of the nationwide Ippen-Digital editors network.
fro / dpa