Rare clear night to view a meteor shower, but dress warmly

COLUMBUS (WCMH) — On a scale of 1 to 10, tonight’s annual Lyrid meteor ranks about a 5. But on a viewing scale, tonight’s clear skies are a perfect 10 for catching a few bright streaks of light.

The Lyrids peak early Wednesday, and the ideal viewing time is from about midnight until 5 a.m. The only challenge might be an unusually cold night that has triggered another freeze warning, but with diminishing winds a warm jacket will suffice.

Meteor showers occur when Earth’s orbit coincides with the debris from the tail of a comet, in this case Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, which has an approximate orbit of once every 415 years, and last came around in 1861.

Sometimes we are treated to fireballs or “shooting stars” that light up the night sky. NASA officials report that sightings of the Lyrid meteor shower date back 2,700 years.

The reason for the thin streaks of light–about 10 to 20 an hour under ideal conditions late tonight–is that dust and ice particles comprising cometary debris burn up in the atmosphere at an altitude of 40-50 miles.

Rarely, a fragment of space rock or meteorite is actually found (perhaps 12 or 13 confirmed in Ohio). These are usually composed of iron, and those streaks have a greenish glow in the sky from the metal.

Although less spectacular in number than the August Perseids and November Leonids, we have the advantage tonight of clear skies to see at least a few meteors an hour.

Don Stevens, director of Perkins Observatory (currently closed due to the pandemic), noted, “Only very bright ones will be visible in the city. No special equipment is needed. Just a comfortable chair, warm blanket, and something hot to drink.”

The best view, as always, will be in dark skies away from urban lights.