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What is it and how do you see a meteor shower?
Anyone looking at the sky between this Sunday night (21) and this Monday evening (22) has a good chance of seeing a meteor shower.
The prediction is that the Lyrid meteor shower, or Lyrids, peaked during this period, according to the National Observatory. Under ideal conditions, it is possible to see up to 18 “shooting stars”, as meteors are popular, per hour, according to the federal government’s research institute.
Astronomer Amauri José da Luz Pereira, coordinator of the Planetarium and Observatory of the Colégio Estadual do Paraná (CEP), in Curitibaexplains that comets are like a ball of dust and ice, like “dirty ice”.
As comets move, according to the astronomer, this material becomes loose, forming a grain syrup that melts as it approaches the Sun.
“The meteor shower is caused directly by this dust, by this matter that breaks away and melts from the body of the comet. But like the Earth, every year, it goes through the This one point and how the cloud is dynamic, sometimes, there is a little more or a little less collection of matter in that region”, he says.
The research institute says that meteors catch fire – in whole or in part – when they interact with the Earth’s atmosphere and oxygen.
“This phenomenon creates a brightness in the sky, commonly known as a ‘shooting star’. A meteor shower occurs when several meteors cross the night sky originating from a common point, known as the radiant. As for the Lyrids, the radiant is in the constellation Lyra”, says the scientific group.
The National Observatory announces that every year, at the end of April, the Earth passes through a line of dust and debris from Comet Thatcher, creating the Lyrid meteor shower, as it co -aligned with the constellation Lyra.
How do you see a meteor shower? ☄️
According to the astronomer, the meteor shower can be seen at night – the chance of viewing will increase at 1 am on Monday and if the sky is clear. You must look north.
However, the Observatory warns that on the night of the highest rainfall, the moon will be 96% full, making viewing difficult.
“Here in Curitiba, if anyone wants to go out to see a shooting star, I recommend that they try to go to a high place and go north here in Curitiba, because there is an issue of pollution We have lights in the city, that is. Therefore, ideally, it should be as far away from the city’s light pollution as possible CEP Planetarium and Observatory.
Amauri Pereira explains that it is very rare to see a phenomenon like water.
“A person who wants to see a phenomenon like this should not have the illusion that it would be like drops of water, that all together, that it would be miraculous! […] It is a very small particle, millimeters or a few centimeters, perhaps the size, at most, of a pea, that comes into contact with our atmosphere at an incredible speed and leaves its path that light of the burning star. “
The Planetarium and Observatory of the Colégio Estadual do Paraná (CEP) from time to time hold activities open to the community. Due to the high interest, registration always opens on the Wednesday before the event.
Apps help ‘map’ the sky🔭
Technology can help anyone who wants to look at shooting stars. The astronomer will give a tip on apps with free versions for cell phones that help to identify, for example, the constellations. Check it out:
- Stellarium
- A star chart
- Map of Sky
- A star wall
“And then it’s a hunt, I would even say interesting, for families to do especially with children. But it’s worth spending an hour looking at the sky, inside [da constelação de Lyra]you will definitely see a shooting star!”, he says.
It’s rare, but it happens 🍀
Pereira says that in the case of larger meteors, it is possible to recognize the color and even hear the sound of the phenomenon – which is considered very rare.
“Sometimes we are lucky that it is big, that it has a certain color. And, sometimes, when the rock is very big, if it is very big, as time goes by, it will even be found. Sometimes there may even be. be sound That’s pretty rare, right?
Can any meteor fall to Earth? 💥
The astronomer claims that it is possible for a meteor to fall to Earth. However, when this happens, it is considered a meteorite. Understand the differences:
- meteoroid: when the celestial body is still in space;
- meteor: a light phenomenon in which the meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere;
- meteorites: when the celestial body reaches the earth.
“Usually [o meteoro] it is not enough, because the atmosphere, despite being very thin, compared to the diameter of the earth, […] it fulfills its role, especially for meteors, which are rocks that come into contact with our atmosphere at incredible speeds”, he explains.
Why is it important to understand meteor showers?
In addition to the beauty of the phenomenon, the National Observatory reveals that meteor showers help to understand the formation of the solar system.
“By studying the properties of debris, it is possible to gain a better understanding of comets and even lunar and Martian fragments, due to ancient impacts, as well as NEOS (Near Earth Objects), objects near the Earth’s orbit with activity”, said the institute.
In addition, such knowledge helps to predict when and when there will be more debris from meteoroid streams where the Earth passes from time to time.
Also according to the research institute, space missions and satellite control centers, with this information, will be able to create more precise strategies to protect ships and equipment in orbit near the Earth and the Moon.
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2024-04-21 03:01:07
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