Baton Rouge Reporter

The Lyrids meteor shower, an annual celestial event, is set to peak on the night of April 22 and the morning of April 23. Typically, this meteor shower presents approximately 20 meteors per hour at its peak. The Lyrids are a result of dust left behind by Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher, discovered in 1861 by Alfred E. Thatcher from New York City.

Thatcher, using a 4.5-inch-diameter refracting telescope, first spotted the comet on April 5, 1861, when it was in the direction of the north polar region of the sky, toward the constellation Draco. The comet at discovery was shining at a magnitude of 7.5, which is fainter than what the unaided eye can see, but it brightened significantly as it approached the Earth and the sun.

Astronomers noted that Comet Thatcher takes approximately 415 years to complete its orbit around the sun. It reaches outward to about 110 astronomical units, 110 times further than the Earth is from the sun. Currently, the comet is far from the sun, continuing to move outward, and is expected to reach its farthest point around the year 2070 before beginning its return journey. The next perihelion, or closest approach to the sun, will occur around 2283.

During its apparition in 1861, Comet Thatcher became visible to the naked eye and was observed into early June before disappearing into the twilight. It was later tracked from the Southern Hemisphere in late July until it became too faint.

The meteor shower annually occurs from April 16 to 25. This year, the thin crescent moon means less light interference, providing a good opportunity for viewing from a dark location after midnight. While meteors radiate from the constellation Lyra, they can be observed across the sky and may produce bright dust trails lasting several seconds.