The incidence of meteors cutting the skies of the country has been increasing since April 14, when planet Earth began to cross a region of space through which the Tatcher comet (w/1861 G1) passed, leaving a trail of dust and debris.
It is the rain of Lyrids, which annually toasts astronomy lovers with visualizations of objects that are literally from another planet. The apex of appearances is scheduled for the night between April 21 and 22.
“The best visibility will be during the peak, at dawn on April 22, around 2 am (Brasília time). At this time, the radiant of the rain – point in the sky from which the meteors seem to originate – will be higher, providing better observation conditions,” he explained to Brazil agency the partner astronomer of the National Observatory Marcelo de Cicco.
Specialist in Planetary Sciences and Coordinator of the Brazilian Meteor Research Project of EXOS, Cicco says that those who are in a dark place, far from the bright pollution of cities and at times of lower luminosity, can see up to 18 meteors per hour.
“Just look predominantly to the north. More specifically to the North Quadrant, near the Vega Star,” suggests the astronomer.
He explains that the rain of tender meteors occurs annually between April 14 and 30.
To facilitate the recognition of cardinal points, the observer who does not have a compass should extend his right arm to the place where the sun is born (east) and the left arm to where the sun is placed (west). That way he will face the north.
Small celestial bodies that move in space and enter the earth atmosphere, meteors burn partially or fully due to the ablation with the earth’s atmosphere and contact with oxygen molecules.
This phenomenon leaves a luminous risk in the sky, popularly called the “Singing Star.”
Studying meteor rains helps estimate the amount and period of higher incidence of debris from meteoroid chains that the earth crosses periodically.
Thus, spatial missions and satellite control centers can improve protection strategies for their ships and orbit equipment near Earth and Moon.
Meteor rains also help to understand the formation of our solar system, because when investigating the properties of debris, it is possible to understand more about comets and even lunar and Martian fragments, resulting from old impacts, as well as Near Earth Objects), objects close to the terrestrial orbit with activity.
