Watch the biggest Lyrids meteor shower this weekend

Named for the constellation Lyra (Lyra), meteor shower The Lyrids will end the “meteor drought” – the period from January to mid-April when no meteor showers light up the sky.

According to the American Meteor Society, the Lyrids meteor shower will be best observed in the Northern Hemisphere, along the northeast sky at mid-north latitudes. This region includes North America.

Lovers of amazing natural phenomena should find an area away from the light pollution of the city and lean back to see more of the night sky. Wait 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark to make it easier to spot the meteor, NASA recommends.

According to NASA, the Lyrids meteor shower has been observed for 2,700 years. The Lyrids meteor shower typically features bright and fast meteors, peaking at up to 100 seen per hour.

According to the American Meteor Association, because this year the Lyrids meteor shower coincides with the time when the moon is only half, so to see the meteor shower more clearly, you should choose the time from the evening of 22 to the morning of April 23. Lyrids are generally known to have unpredictable climaxes, so be prepared for unexpected outbreaks, according to EarthSky.

The Lyrids meteor shower will remain active until April 29.

After the Lyrids, there are 10 meteor showers that will peak in 2022. Here is a list of the remaining meteor showers this year:

Eta Aquariids: 4 to 5.5

Southern Delta Aquariids: 29 to 30.7

Alpha Capricornids: 30-31.7

Perseids: 11 to 12.8

Orionids: 20 to 21.10

Southern Taurids: 4 to 5.11

Northern Taurids: 11 to 12.11

Leonids: 17 to 18.11

Geminids: 13 to 14.12

Ursids: 21 to 22.12

Solar and lunar eclipses

Next Lyrids, amazing natural phenomenon The next one will appear on April 30, when a partial solar eclipse occurs. According to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, the partial eclipse will be observed over southern South America, the southeastern Pacific Ocean, and the Antarctic peninsula.

Another partial solar eclipse on October 25 can be observed over Greenland, Iceland, Europe, northeastern Africa, the Middle East, western Asia, India and western China. Partial eclipses cannot be seen from North America.

eclipse partial occurs when the moon passes in front of the sun but only partially blocks its light. Appropriate eclipse glasses are required to view the eclipse safely, as sunlight can be harmful to the eyes.

There will also be two total lunar eclipses in 2022.

lunar eclipse All will be visible in Europe, Africa, South America, and North America (except those in the northwest regions) between 9:31 p.m. ET on May 15 and 2:52 a.m. ET on May 16. .

Another total lunar eclipse will also be observed over Asia, Australia, the Pacific, South America and North America on November 8 from 3:01 a.m. ET to 8:58 a.m. ET.

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Sun, The earth and the Full Moon align, and the Moon enters the Earth’s shadow. The Earth casts two shadows on the Moon during a lunar eclipse. Penumbra is the outer partial shade, and umbra is the total darkness.

As the full moon moves into Earth’s shadow, it will darken, but it won’t disappear. Sunlight passing through Earth’s atmosphere dramatically illuminates the Moon, giving it a red color – which is why the event is often referred to as a “blood moon”.

Depending on the weather conditions in your area, the Moon can appear rusty, brick, or blood red.

This color variation occurs because blue light undergoes stronger atmospheric scattering, so red light will be the most prominent color when sunlight passes through our atmosphere and hits it. to the Moon.

Full moon

There are still eight full moons that will appear in 2022, with two of these qualifying as super moon. Below is a list of the remaining full moons this year.

May 16: Full moon

June 14: Strawberry Moon

July 13: Deer Moon

August 11th: Sturgeon Moon

September 10: Harvest Moon

October 9th: Hunter Moon

November 8th: Beaver Moon

December 7th: Cold Moon